Biotech: Reports
International Space Station National Laboratory Workshop | SpaceRef - Space News as it Happens
On March 31, 2006, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) held its first in a series of 2006 Congressional forums on the Hill to help educate Congress on important aerospace issues facing the industry today. The Forum focused on the rapidly diminishing federal funding for space life science research within NASA and options forrestoring and sustaining this essential National capability.
The Forum facilitated an open dialogue between industry, academia, Congress and the Administration on life science research issues facing the U.S. and the need for action to ensure future competitiveness in a widening international space life science community. Panelists discussed the precarious state of this research and its criticality to successfully meeting President Bush’s challenge to NASA to conduct a human mission to the Moon by 2018 as a precursor to a subsequent years long mission to Mars.
Genetic Changes During Spaceflight and Aging
This article describes research into how microgravity changes gene expression, and how these genetic changes mimic the aging process.
Gravity Shapes Life
This article by Dr. Emily Morey-Holton discusses the effects of gravity upon an individual’s development as well as the possible effects of gravity upon evolution.
Ground-Based Models for Studying Adaptation to Altered Gravity
This paper by Dr. Emily Morey-Holton explains some common ground-based models used by researchers on Earth to simulate the effects of microgravity on living systems.
Disease Outbreak Alerts from Space
This Science@NASA article describes how, using satellite images, scientists are moving toward a system to help prevent or curb the severity of disease outbreaks around the world.
The Biotechnology Space Research Alliance (BSRA)
The Biotechnology Space Research Alliance (BSRA), a San Diego-based collaborative, was announced at the AIAA Space 2008 Meeting in September 2008. It is designed to stimulate participation by the public and private sectors in the International Space Station National Lab (ISSNL) and thereby demonstrate its value and cost effectiveness as a research platform for “breakthrough biomedical and biotechnology discoveries”. A key goal of the BSRA is to foster communication linkages between NASA and the San Diego research community which can extend to collaborations between industry and funding and researchers associated with NIH, NSF, DoE and the VA.