• + NASA Homepage
• + Goddard Space Flight Center
• + SSED

Code 691

Astrochemistry Science Highlights (Code 691)

Detection of Organic Amines in Samples Returned by Stardust

Fig. 1. LC-FD/ToF-MS analysis of Stardust Wild 2 exposed aerogel shows MA and EA well above controls (preflight aerogel and the flight witness aerogel). Several amino acids are also present in the comet-exposed aerogel.

Fig. 2. Enhanced MA and EA levels in Stardust aerogel suggest that these compounds are cometary in origin. The amine abundances were normalized to L-alanine since this amino acid contaminant was found in all of the aerogel and foil samples. The uncertainties shown are based on the standard deviation of the average value of between two and eight separate measurements.

Automated Classification of Insulin Granules in Electron Photomicrographs of Rat Pancreatic Beta Cells

Figure 1. Electron Photomicrograph of Rat Pancreatic Beta Cell. Insulin granules are small dark Spots surrounded by white "halo". Large black region is cell nucleus. Color indicates results of automated insulin classification type. Red: Both insulin core and halo detected. Yellow: Insulin Halo detected (no insulin core). Blue: Twinned insulin cores are fused. Greenish Blue: Insulin granule detected as docked to plasma membrane (cell wall). Automated Counting processes determine area and volumetric insulin distributions within the cell.