Bioengineering and Materials Science

BioServe Space Technologies, continued

The U.S. Destiny Laboratory Module, which is shown being lifted out of the Space Shuttle cargo bay at the International Space Station, is the site of a BioServe experiment this spring.

BioServe, a NASA-sponsored commercial space center, focuses its research in the medical, biotechnological, and agricultural arenas and is making great strides towards its mission to develop new commercial products through space life science research. This year, BioServe continues to collaborate with Amgen Inc., to determine if a protein discovered at Amgen, Osteoprotegerin, could be used to protect astronauts from bone loss in space and be an effective treatment for osteoporosis.

Center researchers are also studying the effects of long-duration space flight on plant growth to identify genetic mechanisms involved in the biosynthesis of lignin, a major plant structural material. This work may help forest product companies reduce the environmental impact of pulp and paper mills. Additionally, BioServe has formed a biomaterials consortium with the Center for Commercial Applications of Combustion in Space at the Colorado School of Mines. The consortium research has applications to reconstructive medical devices such as bone implants.

Since 1991, BioServe payloads have flown on 18 shuttle missions, including two Russian Mir Increments. With the completion of the Discovery Learning Center anticipated later this year, BioServe will monitor all of its payloads from the DLC Payload Operations and Control Center. http://colorado.edu/engineering/BioServe/