Blobs in space: Slime mould to blast off for ISS experiment. Astronauts aboard the International Space Station are set to welcome a most unusual guest, as “the Blob” blasts off into orbit on Tuesday.An alien on its own planet, the Blob is an unclassifiable organism — neither fish nor fowl. Nor is it plant, animal or fungus.As such, Physarum polycephalum — a type of slime mould — has long fascinated scientists and will now be part of a unique experiment carried out simultaneously by astronauts hundreds of kilometers above the Earth and by hundreds of thousands of French school students.The slime mould first appeared on Earth around 500 million years ago, and defies conventional biology because it is made up of one cell with multiple nuclei.While most organisms grow and reproduce through the division and multiplication of cells, Physarum polycephalum does not.”It is a single cell that grows without ever dividing,” explains Pierre Ferrand, professor of… https://ift.tt/3AwOXUQ
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