NASA has selected 43 researchers to receive grants totaling
approximately $27 million over four years to conduct biotechnology
research on Earth and in space. This research will create
knowledge in important areas of biotechnology such as tissue
engineering, gene expression and biosensor technology.
Sponsored by NASA’s Office of Biological and Physical Research,
this research offers investigators the opportunity to take
advantage of the low-gravity environment of space and develop
experiments for the International Space Station.
Twenty-three of the selected proposals are to conduct research in
cellular biotechnology including projects on tissue engineering,
gene expression and bioanalytical technologies. Twenty of the
selected proposals are to conduct research in macromolecular
biotechnology including projects on challenging problems in
structural biology, artificial biomembranes and membrane proteins.
Fourteen of the selected proposals are for the continuation of work
currently being funded by NASA, but the majority (29) represent new
research efforts.
NASA received 225 proposals in response to its research
announcement in this research area. These proposals were all peer-
reviewed by scientific and technical experts from academia,
government and industry.
A list of the selected principal investigators, institutions, and
research titles (by state) can be found below:
*****Alabama
Dr. Daniel C. Carter
New Century Pharmaceuticals, Incorporated
Huntsville, AL
“Neutron Diffraction: Microgravity Applications in Structure-Guided
Drug Development”
Professor Alexander A. Chernov
Universities Space Research Association
Huntsville, AL
“The Role of Impurities and Convection in Macromolecular Crystal
Perfections”
Dr. Ewa Ciszak
Universities Space Research Association
Huntsville, AL
“Crystal Structure of Human Pyruvate Dehydrogenase Complex
Facilitated by Microgravity”
Dr. Edward H. Snell
Universities Space Research Association
Huntsville, AL
“Cool Crystals — A Physical and Biochemical Study of
Macromolecular Crystal Cryopreservation”
Dr. Peter G. Vekilov
University of Alabama in Huntsville
Huntsville, AL
“Physico-Chemical Tools for Rational Optimization of the Growth
Conditions of Biological Crystals”
*****Arizona
Dr. Bruce C. Towe
Arizona State University
Tempe, AZ
“A Microfluidic Bioreporter for Exploratory Probes”
*****California
Professor Geoffrey A. Chang
The Scripps Research Institute
La Jolla, CA
“Crystallization of Integral Membrane Proteins using Micro-gravity”
Dr. Curtis W. Frank
Stanford University
Stanford, CA
“Production and In-Flight Regeneration of Active Biological
Membranes”
Professor Robert L-Y. Sah
University of California, San Diego
La Jolla, CA
“Fabrication and Growth of Engineered Tissues: Articular Cartilage
with Biological Functional Stratification”
*****Colorado
Dr. David W. M. Marr
Colorado School of Mines
Golden, CO
“A Novel Colloidal Microfluidics Platform for Spaceborne Micro
Total Analysis Systems”
*****Delaware
Dr. Robert E. Akins
A.I. duPont Hospital for Children
Wilmington, DE
“Cell:Cell Mediated Assembly of Cardiac Tissue in Microgravity
Environments”
Dr. Eric W. Kaler
University of Delaware
Newark, DE
“Surfactant Structures Guide Membrane Protein Crystallization”
*****District of Columbia
Dr. Wu Ma
Naval Research Laboratory
Washington, DC
“Neurogenesis in a Cell-Hydrogel-Bioreactor System — Forming
Neuronal Networks in Microgravity”
*****Florida
Dr. Jeanne L. Becker
University of South Florida
Tampa, FL
“3-D Growth Effects on Drug Resistance in Human Ovarian Tumor
Cells”
Dr. Luca Inverardi
University of Miami School of Medicine
Miami, FL
“Cell Transplantation Therapy for Diabetes Utilizing
Immunoprivileged Sertoli-Islet Cell Aggregates (SICAs)”
Dr. Samuel Saporta
University of South Florida College of Medicine
Tampa, FL
“Creation and Transplantation of Immunoprivileged Sertoli-Neuron-
Aggregated-Cells (SNACs) for the Treatment of Parkinson Disease”
*****Iowa
Professor Mark A. Arnold
University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA
“Noninvasive Near-Infrared Monitors for Protein Crystallization and
Biomedical Systems”
*****Illinois
Dr. Ronald S. Kaplan
The Chicago Medical School
North Chicago, IL
“Crystallization of the Mitochondrial Metabolite Transport
Proteins”
*****Indiana
Professor Barbara L. Golden
Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN
“Engineering a Ribozyme for Diffraction Properties”
*****Louisiana
Dr. Timothy G Hammond
Tulane University Medical Center
New Orleans, LA
“Transcription Factors Mediating Gene Expression Changes During
Renal Cell Rotating Wall Vessel Culture”
Dr. Cheryl A. Nickerson
Tulane University Medical Center
New Orleans, LA
“Novel Tissue Assemblies: Models for Enteric Pathogenesis”
Professor Kim C. O’Connor
Tulane University
New Orleans, LA
“Spatial Organization within Prostate Cancer Spheroids”
*****Maryland
Dr. James L. Harden
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD
“A Modular Library of Self-Assembling Proteins for Three-
Dimensional Tissue Culture”
*****Massachusetts
Dr. William J. Schwartz
University of Massachusetts Medical School
Worcester, MA
“Microgravity and the Biology of Neural Stem Cells”
Dr. Arthur J. Sytkowski
Beth Israel Deasoness Medical Center
Boston, MA
“Growth Factor Receptor Function and Cell Differentiation in a Low-
Shear Environment”
*****Mississippi
Dr. W. William Wilson
Mississippi State University
Mississippi State, MS
“High Throughput Screening of Protein-Protein Interactions by
Microchip SPACE”
*****Nevada
Dr. Graca Almeida-Porada
University of Nevada School of Medicine
Reno, NV
“Stem Cell Plasticity Under Simulated Microgravity”
*****New York
Professor George T. DeTitta
Hauptman-Woodward Medical Research Institute
Buffalo, NY
“High Throughput Methods for Rational Prediction of Macromolecular
Crystallization Conditions”
Professor Robert E. Thorne
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY
“Macromolecular Crystal Growth: Techniques Development, Fundamental
Studies, and Applications to Complexes Affecting Cell Growth and
Division”
Dr. J.H. David Wu
University of Rochester
Rochester, NY
“Circadian Rhythms and Control of Hematopoiesis”
*****Ohio
Dr. Gloria E. Borgstahl
University of Toledo
Toledo, OH
“Searching for the Best Protein Crystals: Integration of
Synchrotron-Based Crystal Quality Measurements and Structure
Determination”
Dr. Constance A. Schall
University of Toledo
Toledo, OH
“Optimization of Cryogenic Cooling of Protein Crystals”
*****Pennsylvania
Dr. Andrzej Fertala
Thomas Jefferson University
Philadelphia, PA
“Genetically Engineered Collagen II for Smart Biomaterials”
Professor Patrick J. Loll
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA
“Detergent Interactions Affecting Membrane Protein Crystallization:
Analysis and Use in Screen Design”
Professor Irving M. Shapiro
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA
“Impact of Microgravity on Human Osteoblast Life History:
Experimental Investigation and Numerical Study”
Professor Robert D. Tilton
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA
“Electroosmotic and Electrophoretic Self-Assembly Techniques to
Promote Mass Transfer in Biosensors”
*****Tennessee
Dr. Gerard J. Bunick
University of Tennessee
Knoxville, TN
“Structural Studies of Nucleosomes and Chromatin”
Dr. John Michael Ramsey
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Oak Ridge, TN
“Automated Microfluidic Devices for Monitoring Biological Systems
in Space”
*****Texas
Dr. John M. Jessup
University of Texas Health Science Center
San Antonio, TX
“Gene Expression of Human Colorectal Carcinoma in Microgravity”
Dr. Lynne P. Rutzky
University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
Houston, TX
“Effect of Microgravity on Pancreatic Islet Xenotransplantation,
Vascularization, and Stem Cell Growth”
Dr. Boris Yoffe
Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, TX
“Liver Tissue Engineering in Microgravity Environment”
*****Virginia
Professor Michael C. Wiener
University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA
“A Directed Approach to Membrane Protein Crystallography”
*****Washington
Dr. Albert Folch
University of Washington
Seattle, WA
“Microarrays of Cellular Membrane Patches for In-flight Studies of
Ion Channel Function”
