#04 Katharina Block - Scientific Coordinatorย
๐๐๐๐๐ก๐ ๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐๐ง๐๐ฅ๐ข๐จ๐๐ -ย 3 questions. One perspective. Zero gravity.
Not every research question benefits from microgravity. Katharina helps scientists identify its potential and turn biological hypotheses into feasible space experiments.
We asked her three questions. ๐
๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ญ | ๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฎ ๐๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฐ ๐พ๐๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐๐น๐ฎ๐ฟ๐น๐ ๐๐๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐ฏ๐น๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐ด๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ถ๐ป ๐บ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ด๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐๐?
There isn't necessarily one particular type of scientific question that is best suited for microgravity. It can be relevant across many different fields of biology, from cell and tissue behaviour to protein crystallisation, plant biology or microorganisms. What makes microgravity particularly interesting is that gravity is such a constant part of life on Earth that we often don't consider its influence on a process until we change it. By reducing gravity, we can uncover effects that may normally be masked or difficult to study, and gain a better understanding of which mechanisms are actually gravity-dependent. So sometimes the most interesting result is not simply what changes in microgravity, but discovering that gravity was influencing a process in the first place.
๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ฎ | ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฑ๐ผ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ป๐๐น๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ฎ ๐ฏ๐ถ๐ผ๐น๐ผ๐ด๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น ๐ต๐๐ฝ๐ผ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐ ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ผ ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฒ๐
๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ ๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐ฒ๐
๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ ๐ฎ ๐๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฒ-๐ฏ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐น๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐?
For me, it starts with a conversation. What does the scientist actually want to find out, and what does the experiment need to answer? From there, we work backwards and figure out what the experiment needs in practice, how the samples need to be handled, what temperature and timing they require, when fluids need to be exchanged, or how samples need to be fixed so they can be analysed afterwards.
Then comes the interesting part. Making all of that work within the constraints of a space mission. I act as a bridge between the scientists and our engineering teams, helping turn a biological idea into something that can actually be built, tested, launched and operated in space.
๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ฏ | ๐ช๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฆ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ-๐ฎ๐-๐ฎ-๐ฆ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ธ๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐ถ๐ด๐ด๐ฒ๐๐ ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ณ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ต๐ผ ๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐ป๐ด ๐ฏ๐ถ๐ผ๐น๐ผ๐ด๐ ๐ฒ๐
๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐๐ ๐ป๐ผ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ฒ๐
๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ?
Space experiments come with a lot of additional complexity that researchers don't normally have to deal with on Earth. From hardware constraints and safety requirements to launch timelines, mission operations and dealing with unexpected situations. Science-as-a-Service can take much of that complexity off the researchers shoulders. They can focus on their scientific question and experimental design, while we help translate it into an experiment that can actually fly and be operated in space.