Antibiotics in Orbit
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Antibiotics in Orbit
Scientists who studied antibiotic production during
the "John Glenn" shuttle mission are looking forward
to more low-gravity experiments on the International Space Station.
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August 25, 2000 -- Most of us remember the highly
publicized "John Glenn mission" of 1998 as just that:
John Glenns mission. But when the Space Shuttle Discovery
lifted off on Oct. 29, 1998, Senator Glenn wasn't the only science
experiment on board.
The shuttle was also equipped to study antibiotic production
in an orbiting laboratory.
Microgravity the condition of near weightlessness that
occurs in orbital free fall allows researchers to isolate
and then examine how gravity affects a wide range of biological
and physical processes. NASA microgravity research includes flames in space, materials
science, biology and much
more. A growing fraction of this low-gravity experimentation
is commercially driven. Researchers think that advances in microgravity
science will trigger down-to-earth improvements in everything
from internal combustion engines to medicines.
Above: The Space Shuttle Discovery (STS-95) waiting for liftoff on Oct. 29, 1998.
One of the many medical experiments performed on STS-95 studied
the growth rates and antibiotic production of bacteria in low
gravity. With the global annual market for antibiotics valued
at more than $US10 billion, scientists hope to identify and replicate
the conditions observed in space that apparently enhance the
production efficiency of antibiotic compounds. Pilot studies
by BioServe
Space Technologies and the Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharmaceutical
Research Institute in the 1990s indicated that microbial antibiotic
production was increased by up to 200 percent in space-grown
cultures. The production of actinomycin D on STS-95 was 75 percent
higher in space. The benefits of such findings could have widespread
application in improving production facilities on Earth.
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The STS-95 flight provided an important test of some critical new BioServe hardware, the Gas Exchange Fermentation Apparatus, says Dr. David Klaus, an assistant professor of aerospace engineering sciences at the University of Colorado. Replacing test tubes with this device increased antibiotic production substantially. Testing the device in space was just one step in a multipart process that may improve pharmaceutical production on Earth. The immediate goal of the project is to understand what caused the increased efficiency of production observed in space, and ultimately to simulate these responses in ground facilities.
Left:
Pilot studies to investigate microbial antibiotic production
in space were carried out by BioServe and Bristol-Myers Squibb
on shuttle missions STS-77 in May 1996 and STS-80 in November
1996. This picture shows a test tube full of space grown colonies
(right) alongside a matched ground control (left). Production
of Monorden in space was increased up to 200% compared to the
ground control. The STS-95 flight carried this experiment a step
further. On that mission, test tubes were replaced with a Gas
Exchange Fermentation Apparatus, which increased antibiotic production
even more. [more
information from BioServe Space Technologies]
Klaus is the Associate Director of Research for BioServe Space Technologies, a NASA Commercial Space Center (CSC). CSCs are consortia of government, academia and industry formed to help the commercial sector realize the potential of the space marketplace. NASA helps fund the development of the hardware and provides access to space; industry funds and drives the research; and academic institutions serve as the focal point between the two. In this case a partnership between researchers at the University of Colorado and Kansas State University merges two disciplines aerospace engineering and biological sciences. The alliance is part of an effort to foster commercial applications stemming from NASA-industry relationships.
With the antibiotic experiments carried out in space, researchers bring back cultures and analyze cells and compounds to see if and how they have changed. However, Klaus says that the 10-14 day period in which a shuttle is typically in orbit is often not long enough to decipher significant changes or trends. To move beyond this shortcoming, a 2-4 month mission is scheduled for next year that will take advantage of the long duration International Space Station facilities.
Right: This computer rendering of the completed
International Space Station shows the U.S. Lab Module where many
low-gravity experiments will be performed.
Extended exposure to microgravity on the Space Station will help BioServe and Bristol-Myers Squibb researchers monitor the antibiotics for long-term adaptations and determine if they are beneficial. Klaus says the experiments will involve "multiple sets of inoculation" growing and re-growing many generations in microgravity and taking samples along the way to analyze production rates and changes at various stages. April of 2001 is the current launch date.
Web LinksMicrogravity Research Program Office - from the NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center, has a wealth of information and background on various microgravity projects.
BioServe Space Technologies - A NASA Commercial Space Center
Space Station Research Plan - is available as an Acrobat PDF at NASA Headquarters.
International Space Station - home page
STS-95 - mission home page from the NASA/Johnson Space Center
Microgravity Takes a Quantum Leap - Space Station research may shape society in 21st Century
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Headlines| For lesson plans and educational activities related to breaking science news, please visit Thursday's Classroom |
Author: Annie
Strickler (University of Florida) Production Editor: Tony Phillips Media Relations: Steve Roy Curator: Bryan Walls Responsible NASA official: John M. Horack |