Replication of undifferentiated cells in a weightless environment, uses thereof and facility for such replication and the acceleration of the evolution of plants and animals

Abstract

Manufacturing processes are described for biological replication of undifferentiated plant and animal cells and tissue in a weightless condition, including those systems used in current stem cell research and development and use of undifferentiated parenchyma in plants. Additionally, methods for adapting plants and animals to survive outside their native environments are described. In particular, undifferentiated cells from plants or animals are replicated under weightless conditions in which cell replication or proliferation is accelerated and sustained. Under such conditions, the undifferentiated cells can be “forced” to express sets of genes useful for survival in particular environmental conditions. In this manner, cells surviving prolonged exposure to specific environmental conditions can be selected for and cultivated to produce an organism adapted to that particular environment in an accelerated manner. Methods of identifying specific genes associated with adaptation of a plant or animal to a specific environment are also described.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of adapting a plant to grow in a hostile environment, the method comprising:
 providing replicating parenchyma cells to produce a cell suspension culture comprising a plurality of undifferentiated parenchyma cells;   culturing the cell suspension culture while simultaneously exposing the cell suspension culture to both a microgravity condition and a stimuli corresponding to the hostile environment to which the plant is to be adapted; and   harvesting cells that replicate during the step of culturing, wherein the culturing simultaneously exposes the cell suspension culture to both the microgravity condition and the stimuli corresponding to the hostile environment to cause the plurality of undifferentiated parenchyma cells to express genes that enable the harvested cells to adapt to the hostile environment; and   sequentially removing the harvested cells from the microgravity condition and cultivating the harvested cells to produce a mature plant.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising evaluating said mature plant. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said mature plant is evaluated for at least one of length of survival, growth rate, reproductive capability, cell structure, gene expression, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the parenchyma cells are obtained from uniting a pollen and ovule of a plant prior to exposure to the microgravity condition. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the hostile environment is selected from the group consisting of heat, cold, low barometric pressure, excessive radiation, high carbon dioxide levels, low oxygen levels, low humidity, high humidity, extreme salinity, reduced or increased exposure to sunlight, and low water conditions. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the parenchyma cells are obtained by uniting a pollen and an ovule in the microgravity condition, wherein said parenchyma cells obtained from said union do not develop into differentiated cells. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising steps of:
 examining a gene expression profile of the harvested cells in comparison to the gene expression profile of control cells; and   identifying genes that have a change in expression level as compared to the gene expression profile of the control cells; wherein said identified genes are associated with adaptation to the hostile environment.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the change in expression level is at least four fold in comparison to the expression profile of the control cells. 
     
     
         9 . A method of adapting a plant to grow in a cold environment, the method comprising:
 providing replicating parenchyma cells to produce a cell suspension culture comprising a plurality of undifferentiated parenchyma cells;   culturing the cell suspension culture comprising the plurality of undifferentiated parenchyma cells while simultaneously exposing the cell culture to both a microgravity condition and a cold environment to which the plant is to be adapted; and   harvesting cells that replicate during the step of culturing, wherein the culturing simultaneously exposes the cell suspension culture to both the microgravity condition and the cold environment, to cause the plurality of undifferentiated parenchyma cells to express genes that enable the harvested cells to adapt to the cold environment,   where the plant is not a citrus plant.   
     
     
         10 . The method as recited in  claim 9 , wherein the cold environment is a temperature of about 25° F. or less. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising the sequential step of (1) removing the harvested cells from the microgravity condition and (2) cultivating the harvested cells to produce a mature plant. 
     
     
         12 . A method of adapting a plant to grow in a hostile environment, the method comprising:
 providing replicating parenchyma cells to produce cell suspension culture comprising a plurality of undifferentiated parenchyma cells;   culturing the cell suspension culture comprising the plurality of undifferentiated parenchyma cells while simultaneously exposing the cell culture to both a microgravity condition and a hostile environment to which the plant is to be adapted, wherein the hostile environment is selected from the group consisting of heat, cold, low barometric pressure, excessive radiation, high carbon dioxide levels, low oxygen levels, low humidity, high humidity, extreme salinity, reduced or increased exposure to sunlight, and low water conditions; and   harvesting cells that replicate during the step of culturing, wherein the culturing simultaneously exposes the cell culture to both the microgravity condition and the hostile environment to cause the plurality of undifferentiated parenchyma cells to express genes that enable the harvested cells to adapt to the hostile environment, wherein said harvested cells do not develop into differentiated cells during the step of culturing;   sequentially removing the harvested cells from the microgravity condition and cultivating the harvested cells to produce a mature plant.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising a step of excising the parenchyma cells from a cellular sample, the step of excising occurring prior to the step of replicating.