GSBMS, a Ground Based Facility in Toulouse for plants, cells and microorganisms

Abstract

GSBMS (Scientific Group of Space Biology and Medicine) was created in
1992 by a group of scientists willing to share their skills, knowledge
and expertise on space science. Our main topics are: gravitational
biology, physiology, radiobiology and medicine at the University of
Toulouse. GSBMS is a horizontal structure, supported by CNES, which can
help user teams to prepare and develop experiments which require
microgravity environment (Space Station, automatic spacecraft, Airbus-0g
). GSBMS is also part of the ESA-Ground Based Facility program. The
scientific teams that have been granted to carry out a space experiment
can find in GSBMS the expertise needed to finalize their project by
doing preliminary tests necessary to prove the relevance of future space
experiments and all over the following operational phases of a selected
experiment until the launching. GSBMS make available to scientific
teams, some devices to generate either Hypergravity (centrifuge 1g-5g)
or alteration of the gravitational stimulus (RPM and clinostats). GSBMS
has also developed an innovating device providing continuous low dose
γ radiations (patent pending). GSBMS has participated to several
Biological Space experiments using devices like Biobloc, Cytos, Biorack,
Biopan, Ibis, Kubik, EMCS. Recently, GSBMS participated to the logistics
ant technical support for PolCa, Gravigen and Genara-A Experiment in the
last two years.