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I wonder whether or not lateral flow will work in the ISS. Thanks!

flimsy elephant
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  • So far as I recall, chromatography paper depends on fluid being "sucked" along fibers, and in fact will work pretty well regardless of orientation on the ground under normal gravity. – Carl Witthoft Feb 01 '21 at 18:31

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Yes, it will and has worked.

Astronaut Ricky Arnold demonstrates it on the ISS.

Organic Marble
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  • DNA sequencing in space would likely have used electrophoresis, which is not the same thing since the mobility comes from the electric field. In addition to the demo, are there any gas chromatographs on board to analyze the air? – uhoh Jan 31 '21 at 23:48
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    @uhoh I am not sure. The question specifically asks about paper. – Organic Marble Jan 31 '21 at 23:49
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    you're too fast for me; after my comment I was speed-reading about gas chromatography to figure out how the liquid part figures into it. It doesn't, the sample is static while in the "stationary phase" (duh! in hindsight) but before I could get back to revise my comment... Anyway, great answer as usual! – uhoh Jan 31 '21 at 23:57
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    @uhoh it appears there is or was at least one onboard https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12127-012-0107-z – Organic Marble Feb 01 '21 at 00:06