NASA spotlight on Â鶹Ãâ·Ñ°æÏÂÔØBoulder space research
NASA astronaut Jessica Meir works on InSPA-StemCellEX-H2 inside the Life Sciences Glovebox. Microgravity samples will be frozen and returned to Earth for further analysis of stem cell expansion in space.
Biomedical research designed by the Â鶹Ãâ·Ñ°æÏÂÔØ is being highlighted by NASA.
Astronauts aboard the International Space Station are conducting studies into the manufacture of large quantities of stem cells in orbit to benefit medical therapies on Earth.
The Hematopoietic Stem Cell Expansion in Space project is led by BioServe Space Technologies, a research center within the Ann and H.J. Smead Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences.Ìý
Faculty and students in BioServe have been designing and launching space experiments and equipment for nearly 40 years. This project is using stem cells derived from the human body to produce large quantities of cells for patient use through a process called “expansion" that goes beyond what is possible on Earth.
“The microgravity environment in space is much more suitable for keeping the stem cells in their high-quality state during expansion," said Tobias Niederwieser, an assistant research professor and co-investigator on the project.
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