UA Scientists Awarded Space Research Grant

Marian Frank
Marian Frank
NASA grant will allow the Center for Applied NanoBioscience and Medicine to study the health effects of long space missions

The Center for Applied NanoBioscience and Medicine is doing its part to protect the health of astronauts on long-duration missions, including NASA’s Journey to Mars.

The Center, located at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix, is a co-principal Investigator on a grant awarded to Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine. The grant will fund research on the effects of simulated space radiation on the human GI tract.Center for Applied NanoBioscience and Medicine Lab Shot

Frederic Zenhausern, PhD, MBA, director of the Center for Applied NanoBioscience and Medicine and a professor at the UA College of Medicine – Phoenix, said UA scientists will provide microfluidic gut microsystem and biodosimetry tools to Wake Forest University scientists. The lab’s share of the $3.4 million grant is $943,000 over four years.

The innovative Human-Microbial Cross-Talk human “gut-on-a-chip” provides a platform for scientists to monitor how solar events and cosmic rays affect humans in space. The grant is 1 of 10 awarded by NASA’s Translational Research Institute at Baylor College of Medicine for research projects in lymphatic flow, radiation damage resistance, minimally invasive surgical techniques and the effects of the microbiome on health during long spaceflights.

“This is the first TRI initiative from NASA’s Human Research Program which will help to solve some of the challenges of health management for astronauts on extended space exploration missions,” Dr. Zenhausern said. “It represents an exciting opportunity to be part of an outstanding group of experts at Wake Forest, NASA and the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.”Center for Applied NanoBioscience and Medicine Lab Shot

“The University of Arizona has a long-standing and renowned history of research partnership with NASA, particularly through the Department of Astronomy and Lunar and Planetary Laboratory,” said UA President Robert C. Robbins. “We are so excited to add UA Health Sciences to this tradition of collaboration with the space agency.”

The human gut-on-a-chip provides a platform for studying a biological model of the human gastrointestinal tract that mimics the actual conditions and processes that occur within the gut.

It allows scientists to see how cells from individuals respond to certain drugs or environmental exposure, allowing them to formulate personalized therapies. With organ-on-a-chip technology, researchers can analyze the complex interactions between human cells and the microbial ecosystems of the gut, predicting their effects on health, disease onset or even cognitive performance, and study the action of probiotics, nutritional compounds or drugs.

In 2016, NASA established the Translational Research Institute to research and develop innovative approaches to reduce risks to humans on long-duration exploration missions. The institute was awarded $246 million for six years, and is led by Baylor College of Medicine with partners including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the California Institute of Technology.

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Marian Frank
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About the College

Founded in 2007, the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix inspires and trains exemplary physicians, scientists and leaders to optimize health and health care in Arizona and beyond. By cultivating collaborative research locally and globally, the college accelerates discovery in a number of critical areas — including cancer, stroke, traumatic brain injury and cardiovascular disease. Championed as a student-centric campus, the college has graduated more than 800 physicians, all of whom received exceptional training from nine clinical partners and more than 2,700 diverse faculty members. As the anchor to the Phoenix Bioscience Core, which is projected to have an economic impact of $3.1 billion by 2025, the college prides itself on engaging with the community, fostering education, inclusion, access and advocacy.