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| Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus (CGBA) |
| In-Cabin |
| Principal Investigator: Dr. Haig Keshishian, Yale University, and Dr. Timothy Hammond, Tulane University |
| Project Scientist: Debra Reiss-Bubenheim, NASA Ames Research Center |
| Overview |
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CGBA experiments that explore the ways biological processes are affected by microgravity—the near-weightlessness of space—may allow researchers to better understand the nervous system. Scientists also plan to use the CGBA to investigate growing human tissue for use in surgical procedures such as skin grafts and organ transplants and in developing medicines. Two experiments will be conducted on STS-106. Synaptogenesis in Microgravity This primary experiment will examine how space flight affects the developing nervous system of the fruit fly (Drosophila melanogastor). Researchers are particularly interested in learning how nerves that control movement navigate through the embryonic central nervous system and attach to the muscle fibers they will control and how synapses, which are the communication junctures between nerves where signals are transferred from one nerve to another, differentiate and develop to their mature form during embryonic and postembryonic life. The fruit fly is an ideal model for studying the effects of microgravity on normal developmental processes because its development on Earth is well characterized and it has a small set of genes. A better understanding of these effects could have implications not only for long-term space travel, but also for processes related to various diseases and the disorders of aging. Kidney Cell Gene Expression The second experiment is a follow-up to an STS-90 investigation. In that earlier experiment, microgravity caused large-scale alterations in kidney cell genes. The follow-up experiment will examine how microgravity alters the gene expression in kidney cells that ultimately enables kidneys to develop and function normally. The ultimate goal of this experiment is to manipulate the kidney cells to produce specific tissues for use in humans or as models in developing medicines. Cells grown in suspension in space can join together and form three-dimensional tissues similar to their counterparts in an intact organ. These tissues are difficult to produce in Earth's gravity. |
| History/Background |
The Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus allows automated in-flight processing of a variety of biological experiments contained in eight individually programmable, temperature-controlled devices. The CGBA payload hardware consists of the generic bioprocessing apparatus (GBA), which occupies a single middeck locker, and the isothermal containment module (ICM), a middeck locker apparatus for storing biological samples in a temperature-controlled environment. |
| Benefits |
| The interdisciplinary nature of this research offers unique educational opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students. Improving applications and developing new products will benefit U.S. industry, enhance the quality of life, and propel the field of biotechnology toward new frontiers. |
Editorial/Technical Comments: ShuttlePresskit
