The effect on microtubule self-organisation of reduced gravity levels produced in ground based experiments; comparison with space flight experiments

Conditions of weightlessness can be obtained in space-flight experiments. Reduced gravity levels, albeit of higher magnitude, can also be obtained by various ground based methods. Space-flight experiments demonstrate that self-organisation of microtubules, an element of the cellular skeleton, may be triggered by gravity. The effect of reduced gravity levels produced by various types of ground based apparatus on microtubule self-organisation is compared with the effects produced by space-flight conditions. Of the different methods used, the simple rotating clinostat although not reproducing the results of the spare experiment, gave results that showed similar qualitative features.