Innovations in Life Science on the Space Station
NASA astronaut Kate Rubins examines stem-cell-derived heart cells onboard the ISS.
Media Credit: NASA
Learn how space-based research is driving innovations in medicine, engineering, consumer products, and other markets at a the ISSInternational Space Station National Lab Expanding Horizons Salon Series event in San Francisco on September 10.
Arun Sharma speaking at the SpaceX CRS-9 NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration science briefing.
Media Credit: Arun Sharma
The event will feature Harvard Medical School postdoctoral fellow Arun Sharma, whose research is focused on using human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to study cardiovascular biology, model diseases “in a dish,” and screen potential new drugs for effectiveness and toxicity.
As a graduate student at Stanford University, Sharma worked with Dr. Joseph Wu and Dr. Sean Wu to examine the effects of microgravityThe condition of perceived weightlessness created when an object is in free fall, for example when an object is in orbital motion. Microgravity alters many observable phenomena within the physical and life sciences, allowing scientists to study things in ways not possible on Earth. The International Space Station provides access to a persistent microgravity environment. on human heart function. The team sent a sample of cardiomyocytes (cells of the specialized muscle tissue of the heart) derived from human iPSCs to the International Space Station (ISS) National Lab to look at microgravity-induced changes on a cellular level. Results from such research could benefit both patients on Earth and astronauts on future long-duration spaceflight missions.
“Using the International Space Station, we can dream big—we can think of ideas, think of questions, think of novel concepts that otherwise we wouldn’t be able to do here on Earth.”—Arun Sharma, Postdoctoral Fellow, Harvard Medical School
The Expanding Horizons Salon Series gathers curious, creative, and ambitious thought leaders to make new connections, share experiences, and spark unexpected ideas for innovative research onboard the ISS National Lab. Go here to register for the September 10 Salon Series event.