Biotech: Web Articles
Science could be victim of ISS cargo pressure
"The International Space Station has reached a milestone with the 29 May arrival, via a Soyuz TMA-15 launch from Kazakhstan, of the second half of its first-ever six-strong crew. Doubling the orbiting outpost's complement has been hailed as a step change in the station's usefulness for conducting scientific research." "...enthusiasts for the station's scientific capabilities will be keeping a wary eye on logistics, because...the cargo supply schedule is challenging." "Launch and return of astronauts, their critical supplies and spare parts for the station must take priority, so scientific supplies and equipment - and particularly any biological experiments - will face limitations after the Space Shuttle's retirement next year. "Capacity is always going to be a challenge," says ESA acting ISS programme manager Bernardo Patti." The good news is that the commercial cargo transport may be booming, but R&D benefits and their commercialization may shrink.
Salmonella Spills its Secrets on the Space Shuttle | NASA
"Research has intensified ever since Salmonella bacteria grown on board the space shuttle returned to Earth 3 to 7 times more virulent than Salmonella grown on the ground under otherwise identical conditions. Knowing why could help safeguard astronauts from disease and lead to new treatments for food poisoning and other common ailments on Earth. New research by Cheryl Nickerson (Arizona State University), the pioneer in this area and her colleagues explains not only why Salmonella gets "revved up" in space, but also how to calm it down again." Read about why the micro-gravity of space can answer secrets for healthcare on Earth.
PharmaSat to bring drug testing into orbit - R&D Magazine
"NASA is preparing to fly a small satellite weighing about 10 lbs that could help scientists better understand how effectively drugs work in space. The nanosatellite, known as PharmaSat, is a secondary payload aboard a U.S. Air Force four-stage Minotaur 1 rocket planned for launch the evening of May 5. It contains a controlled environment micro-laboratory packed with sensors and optical systems that can detect the growth, density and health of yeast cells and transmit that data to scientists for analysis on Earth. Scientists will study how the yeast responds during and after an antifungal treatment is administered at three distinct dosage levels to learn more about drug action in space, the satellite's primary goal." PharmaSat science results will be applicable both to medical care for astronauts in space, and for better understanding of basic drug actions relevant to public health care on Earth.
Bacterial Integrated Circuits
Bioluminescent Bioreporter Integrated Circuits are a tiny, low-cost, low-power way to detect pollutants within spacecraft, or any other potentially contaminated environment.