ISS National Lab Research Announcement Seeking Tissue Engineering and Biomanufacturing Proposals Opens

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER (FL), October 4, 2023 – A new research announcement to leverage the unique environment of the International Space Station (ISSInternational Space Station) to advance tissue engineering and biomanufacturing is now open. The ISS National Laboratory® is soliciting concepts for applied research and technology development for regenerative medicine applications seeking to demonstrate space-based manufacturing and production activities for terrestrial applications. Through this research announcement, multiple projects will be awarded funding to support project costs, hardware and integration costs, and flight allocation to the orbiting laboratory.

Through in-space production and manufacturing efforts, the ISS National Lab seeks to enable new business models that can grow capital investment and develop a robust market in low Earth orbit(Abbreviation: LEO) The orbit around the Earth that extends up to an altitude of 2,000 km (1,200 miles) from Earth’s surface. The International Space Station’s orbit is in LEO, at an altitude of approximately 250 miles. (LEO). Both NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration and the ISS National Lab have prioritized utilization of the space station for in-space production applications(Abbreviation: InSPA) InSPA is an applied research and development program sponsored by NASA and the ISS National Lab aimed at demonstrating space-based manufacturing and production activities by using the unique space environment to develop, test, or mature products and processes that could have an economic impact. and manufacturing opportunities, and this research announcement reflects a desire to build on this growing area of emphasis.

The ISS National Lab is seeking proposals in the areas of regenerative medicine and biofabrication as well as associated technologies that may benefit from the unique conditions on the space station. Of particular interest are studies that propose to:

• Exploit the benefits of stem cell research in the 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. environment for therapeutic applications on Earth
• Demonstrate an organoid or multicellular culture system to model human diseases that can be used for testing therapeutics
• Develop or leverage existing systems on the space station for the production of tissues or other biocompatible materials for regenerative medicine

As a recent example, Redwire Space launched an updated BioFabrication Facility (BFF(Abbreviation: BFF) The BFF is a 3D bioprinter on the ISS capable of printing human tissue from bioinks mixed with living cells. This ISS National Lab commercial facility is owned and operated by Redwire Space.) to further bioprinting capabilities in the absence of gravity. The company successfully bioprinted a complete human meniscus (a protective piece of cartilage in the knee joint) in space for the first time and returned it to Earth earlier this month. This significant milestone helps pave the way to one day being able to print tissues and organs in space for patients on Earth and future space travelers. The space environment is beneficial for biofabrication because microgravity allows delicate tissues to mature and strengthen without collapsing under their own weight as they do on Earth. On an upcoming Commercial Resupply Services mission(Abbreviation: CRS mission) A CRS mission is a cargo resupply mission contracted by NASA to deliver supplies and research to the International Space Station on commercial spacecraft as part of the CRS contract with three commercial companies. As part of CRS missions, experiments currently return to Earth on SpaceX Dragon spacecraft that splash down in the ocean. to the space station, a prior ISS National Lab Research Announcement recipient will launch neural organoid models to better understand mechanisms behind human neurodegenerative disease. The investigation, led by the National Stem Cell Foundation, uses induced pluripotent stem cells derived from patients with Parkinson’s disease and primary progressive multiple sclerosis to develop a brain organoid model that will be tested on Earth and in microgravity, where the onset and progression of the disease is accelerated. This accelerated model of disease can advance biomarker discovery for improved diagnosis and accelerate drug discovery and development for the treatment of neurodegenerative disease.

Findings from such investigations will help improve patient care on Earth and help establish a robust and sustainable economy in LEO.

This research announcement follows a two-step proposal process. The Step 1: Concept Summary is due at the close of business on November 20, 2023. Only approved Step 1 concepts will be invited to submit a full proposal. For more information on this research announcement, including how to attend an upcoming webinar slated for October 13, 2023, please visit our research announcement overview webpage. To learn more about the ISS National Lab and the science that it sponsors, please visit our website.

Download a high-resolution for this release: NASA Astronaut Megan McArthur

Media Contact:       
Patrick O’Neill
904-806-0035
PONeill@ISSNationalLab.org

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About the International Space Station (ISS) U.S. National Laboratory: The International Space Station (ISS) is a one-of-a-kind laboratory that enables research and technology development not possible on Earth. As a public service enterprise, the ISS National Lab allows researchers to leverage this multiuser facility to improve life on Earth, mature space-based business models, advance science literacy in the future workforce, and expand a sustainable and scalable market in low Earth orbit. Through this orbiting national laboratory, research resources on the ISS are available to support non-NASA science, technology and education initiatives from U.S. government agencies, academic institutions, and the private sector. The Center for the Advancement of Science in Space™ (CASIS™(Abbreviation: CASIS™) The nonprofit organization that manages the ISS National Lab, which receives at least 50 percent of the U.S. research allocation on the International Space Station to facilitate research that benefits humanity (NASA manages the other 50% and focuses on research for space exploration purposes).) manages the ISS National Laboratory®, under Cooperative AgreementA cooperative agreement is Federal assistance that establishes a relationship between the U.S. Government and a recipient in which the principal purpose of the relationship is to accomplish a public purpose of support or stimulation.  Since 2011, the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space™ (CASIS™) has managed the National Laboratory® through a Cooperative Agreement with NASA. with NASA, facilitating access to its permanent microgravity research environment, a powerful vantage point in low Earth orbit, and the extreme and varied conditions of space. To learn more about the ISS National Lab, visit issnationallab.org.

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