The SpaceX Falcon 9 vehicle is slated to launch its 13th
cargo resupply mission (CRS-13) to the International Space Station no
earlier
than December from historic Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in
Florida. The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft will carry more than a dozen
International Space Station U.S. National Laboratory payloads to conduct
research across a variety of areas aimed at improving
life on Earth. From plant biology, to technology demonstrations aimed
at enhancing bone growth, and more efficient treatments for the diabetic
community, this launch will bring new innovative concepts to the
microgravity environment of the space station. This
launch will culminate a robust year of research on the U.S. National
Lab, as more experiments than ever before have reached the orbiting
laboratory.
Below are highlights of sponsored U.S. National Lab investigations that are part of the SpaceX CRS-13 mission:
Assessing Osteoblast Response to Tetranite™
Nikolaos Tapinos,
Launchpad Medical (Boston, MA)
The
goal of this investigation is to explore the ability of Tetranite™, a
synthetic bone material capable of adhering bone to metal within minutes
to accelerate bone repair. It is well known
that microgravity affects bone cell growth and healing, mimicking the
symptoms observed in osteoporosis. The investigators seek to evaluate
the response of osteoblasts (a bone cell subtype responsible for
renewing bones) to Tetranite™. Understanding bone cell-Tetranite™
interactions could provide insight into the post-fracture bone healing
response and assist in the development of more effective treatments for
patients with osteoporosis. In addition, this cell culture project
should provide the basis for follow-on studies
of the bone healing response in small rodents.
Hardware Partner:
BioServe Space Technologies
Barley Germination and Malting in Microgravity
Dr. Gary Hanning, Budweiser (Ft. Collins, CO)
This project will explore the effects of spaceflight on the germination of strains of an important food crop, barley (Hordeum vulgare),
including proprietary strains under development.
Observing changes in gene expression and germination after exposure to
microgravity contributes to knowledge about how different cultivars
(plants of the same species that possess genetic differences) may be
better prepared to handle Earth-based stress, such
as temperature extremes or water scarcity. An important ingredient for
Budweiser, barley is also the 4th largest cereal grain grown in the
world and is grown in diverse environments. Studying barley in
microgravity may reveal new information regarding the
germination process and identify key genes that enable some cultivars
to survive in stressful environments.
Hardware Partner:
Space Tango
Characterizing Arabidopsis Root Attractions-2
Dr. Anna-Lisa Paul,
University of Florida (Gainesville, FL)
An
extension to the CARA project to: 1) conduct additional molecular
analyses of the CARA samples, analyses that can significantly contribute
to GeneLab and have been made possible by new advances
in RNA isolation from small sample amounts, and 2) collect additional
ISS imaging of plates (with no sample return) to extend data from the
unique LMM imaging capabilities that were revealed by the initial CARA
imaging.
Hardware Partner:
Zin Technologies, CASIS
Implantable Glucose Biosensers
Michail Kastelloizios,
Biorasis (Storrs, CT)
This
project seeks to improve the accuracy of a wireless, medically
implantable continuous glucose biosensor (Glucowizzard™) for day-to-day
diabetes management. Slow glucose transport within
human tissue (through the capillary walls and surrounding tissue toward
the sensing site of the biosensor) can create delays of up to 20
minutes in real-time monitoring of glucose levels. This delay can be
detrimental in achieving tight glycemic control, which
has been linked to serious secondary complications in patients with
diabetes. The International Space Station provides a microgravity
environment in which reduced fluid movement allows precise monitoring of
the role of diffusion in glucose transport, thus
improving the mathematical models that determine the accuracy of the
Glucowizzard continuous glucose monitoring biosensor. The World Health
Organization projects that the global diabetic population will reach 366
million by 2030. In order to prevent serious
health problems, many people with diabetes currently use glucose
biosensors that may inaccurately measure their glucose levels prior to
self-administering insulin. Biorasis is addressing this critical need by
studying fluid movement onboard the International
Space Station in order to optimize the Glucowizzard™ continuous glucose
monitoring biosensor.
Hardware Partner: Space Tango
Implantable Nanochannel System for Delivery of Therapeutics for Muscle Atrophy
(Rodent Research-6)
Dr. Alessandro Grattoni,
Houston Methodist Research Institute (Houston, TX)
An
implantable drug delivery system that circumvents the need for daily
injections will be tested in a rodent model with microgravity-induced
muscle atrophy. Specifically, the drug formoterol,
used in the management of asthma and other medical conditions, will be
administered by controlled release from a nanochannel implant to achieve
a constant and reliable dosage. If successful, this system could serve
as a more reliable and accurate technology
for drug delivery. In collaboration with Novartis and NanoMedical
Systems, this validated system may rapidly translate into a commercial
product. Sarcopenia, or muscle wasting, is a condition that affects more
than 50% of the geriatric population, however
therapeutics used to treat this condition are limited to physical
activity or generic hormones. The most commonly used pharmaceutical
intervention for sarcopenia is formoterol, but administrating these
drugs requires a daily injection, which can be inconvenient.
This collaboration between The Houston Methodist Research Institute,
Novartis, and NanoMedical Systems plans to develop an implantable device
that will safely administer formoterol over a long period of time,
without patients needing a daily injection, improving
quality of life.
Hardware Partner: BioServe Space Technologies
Optical Fiber Production in Microgravity
Michael Snyder,
Made In Space (Mountain View, CA)
High-performance
optical fiber is used extensively for the manufacture of efficient and
compact ultraviolet, visible, and infrared fiber lasers due to its low
intrinsic loss, wide transparency window,
and small phonon energy. This technology enables advances in many
different sectors, including medical devices such as laser scalpels and
endoscopes, sensors for the aerospace and defense industry, and
telecommunications applications. The optical fiber ZBLAN
has the potential to far exceed the performance of other fibers in
common use. Despite this, the terrestrially produced fiber suffers from
physical impurities which contribute to light scattering and absorption
loss, reducing performance. Microgravity has been
shown to significantly reduce these imperfections, and production of
fibers in space may enable not only improved materials but also new
frontiers for manufacturing in space.
Hardware Partner: Made In Space
Dr. Hans-Juergen Zachrau,
AIRBUS DS Space Systems (Webster, TX)
This
project will use existing SPHERES hardware to examine the active
steering of a passive liquid-containing body in space. The Tether–Slosh
experiment combines features of both the Tether–Demo
and SPHERES–Slosh experiment into a single investigation utilizing
hardware available on‐board
International Space Station to conduct the experiment.
By placing an acceleration sensor from Airbus DS into the Slosh tank
and using an already certified WISENET sensor package, this experiment
makes extensive use of resources already on International Space Station
to generate data that will inform models for
the automated steering of passive objects including disabled
satellites. The small satellite market is projected to be valued at
$5.32 billion by 2021; software that remotely enables the re-positioning
of passive objects in LEO has the potential to expand
small satellite use and accelerate satellite market development.
Hardware Partner: AIRBUS DS Space Systems
Zaiput
Flow Technologies – Galactic Grant
Andrea Adamo,
Zaiput Flow Technologies (Boston, MA)
This
experiment will explore the effects of microgravity on a device for the
continuous separation of immiscible liquids as part of continuous flow
chemistry approaches. Continuous flow chemistry,
the process of performing chemical reactions in a tube or pipe, has
many advantages over batch chemistry for some applications, including
faster reaction times, separation of reactants from products, quick
reaction optimization, easy scale-up, and the integration
of typically separate processes. While common separation methods rely
on liquid sedimentation, this system has the unique characteristic of
relying on surface forces to accomplish liquid-liquid extraction. To
serve the needs of chemical production, the device
needs to be scaled-up, which requires understanding the effect that
gravity and length scales have on the flow path as it relates to
separation efficiency.
Hardware Partner: Space Tango
“This
launch culminates an impressive year of research onboard the
International Space Station and the U.S. National Laboratory,” said
CASIS Director of Operations Ken Shields. “We thank our
launch partners and NASA for the continued support as we look to many
more fruitful years of International Space Station utilization and the
mounting discoveries that will come from this incredible research
facility.”
To learn more about these investigations and other station research, visit
www.spacestationresearch.com.
# # #
About CASIS:
The
Center for Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS) is the non-profit
organization selected to manage the ISS National Laboratory with a focus
on enabling a
new era of space research to improve life on Earth. In this innovative
role, CASIS
promotes
and brokers a diverse range of research in life sciences, physical
sciences, remote sensing, technology development, and education.
Since
2011, the ISS National Lab portfolio has included hundreds of novel
research projects spanning multiple scientific disciplines, all with the
intention of benefitting life on Earth. Working
together with NASA, CASIS aims to advance the nation’s leadership in
commercial space, pursue groundbreaking science not possible on Earth,
and leverage the space station to inspire the next generation.
About the ISS National Laboratory:
In 2005,
Congress designated the U.S. portion of the International Space Station
as the nation’s newest national laboratory to maximize its use for
improving life on Earth, promoting collaboration among diverse
users, and advancing STEM education. This unique laboratory environment
is available for use by other U.S. government agencies and by academic
and private institutions, providing access to the permanent microgravity
setting, vantage point in low Earth orbit,
and varied environments of space.
