Assessment of Directions in Microgravity and Physical Sciences Research at NASA (2003) / Chapter Skim
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Appendix A: Future Biotechnology Research on the International Space Station, Executive Summary
Appendix A: Future Biotechnology Research on the International Space Station, Executive Summary
Pages 91-101
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Appendixes
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From page 92... ...
2002. "Recent Advances in the satbi~zation of proteins encapsulated injectable PEGA delivery systems" Critical Review in Therapeutic Drug Carrier Systems.; ~ 9~1)
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The protein crystal growth work focuses on using microgravity to produce higher quality macromolecular crystals for structure determination and on improving understanding of the crystal growth process. The cell science work focuses on basic research that contributes to understanding how the microgravity environment affects the fundamental behavior of cells, particularly in relation to tissue formation and the effects of space exploration on living organisms.
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From page 94... ...
Despite the lack of impact of microgravity research on structural biology up to now, there is reason to believe that the potential exists for crystallization in the microgravity environment to contribute to future advances in structure determination. Today's ground-based protein crystallization projects are increasingly sophisticated, and yet the diffraction characteristics of crystals of many important targets are still suboptimal.
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From page 95... ...
While there is already a sharing of flight hardware, a mechanism to establish projects that are jointly funded by the Life Sciences Division and the Microgravity Research Division should be considered. Recommendation: The research strategies and projects of the cell science work in the biotechnology section of the Microgravity Research Division should be more closely coordinated with the work of NASA's Life Sciences Division to take advantage of overlapping work on bone and muscle constructs and of potential synergies between in vitro and in vivo research projects.
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will be vital for successful protein crystal growth experiments on the ISS. The XCF, through its use of robotics and a variety of experimental and observational capabilities, provides many of the tools researchers need to take full advantage of the microgravity environment.
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Recommendation: Given the current status of equipment in development, finitefiscal resources at NASA, and the limited amount of volume on the ISS, the task group recommends that future research on the ISS should Reemphasize the use of rotating-wall vessel bioreactors, which are already established, and continue to encourage the development of new technologies such as miniaturized culture systems and compact analytical devices. rl~he final determination on what sort of instrumentation will be most effective for cell and tissue growth in microgravity has yet to be made, and it is important that the relative merits of various pieces of instrumentation be carefully evaluated and that NASA maintain the necessary administrative and engineering flexibility to adopt the most effective systems employing the most advanced technologies and to discontinue hardware development projects that are not attuned to the most current scientific needs of the cell science communities.
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From page 98... ...
The flow of gases and fluids required to maintain rigorous environmental control for cell and tissue culture will produce vibrations that cannot be tolerated by a crystal growth facility. If cell science and protein crystal growth equipment are housed in one rack, one or both of the disciplines will be forced to operate under suboptimal conditions.
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· The rack presently assigned to the XCF growth equipment and managed by NASA Space Product Development should be officially dedicated to the peer-reviewed macromolecular research run out of the Microgravity Research Division. SELECTION AND OUTREACH NASA research in cell science and protein crystal growth is funded through a collection of approximately 90 active 4-year grants; the total size of the program is roughly $19 million per year.
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Recommendation: The separate identities of the protein crystal growth and cell science sections of NASA's biotechnology research program should be emphasized. One key step should be splitting the Discipline Working Group into two strategic advisory committees to reflect the different issues facing each area of research.
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The projects funded by these grants should address the uncertainties that have plagued the NASA protein crystal growth program, by using the ISS for a reliable, long-term microgravity environment, by comparing space-grown crystals to the best ground crystals, and by focusing on challenging systems and hot scientific problems. Their results should definitively show whether the use of microgravity can produce crystals of a higher quality than those grown using the best technologies available on Earth.
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