Astropharmacy / Biotechnology Archives

Astrogeology, Astropharmacy / Biotechnology, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Comets and Asteroids, Commercial & Private Sector, Meteorites & Asteroids, Microbiology & Virology, Missions & Hardware, Nanotechnology & SynBio, Space Life Science, Space Stations, Status Report

Testing Microbial Biomining From Asteroidal Material Onboard The International Space Station

by Keith CowingJanuary 22, 2024February 14, 2026

Expanding human space exploration beyond Earth’s orbit necessitates efficient technologies for self-sustainable acquisition of local resources to overcome unviable resupply missions from Earth. Potential source of materials are asteroids, some […]

AI - Data - Apps - Cybernetics, Astrobiology (general), Astropharmacy / Biotechnology, Citizen Science / Open Science, Education and Outreach, NASA Astrobiology Program, Status Report

The Astrobiology Habitable Environments Database (AHED) and the Astrobiology Resource Metadata Standard (ARMS): Community-driven Tools For Astrobiological Data

by Keith CowingDecember 28, 2023December 28, 2023

The interdisciplinary nature of astrobiology presents challenges to data management, integration, and analysis because of its great diversity.

The first human knee meniscus successfully 3D bioprinted in orbit using the BioFabrication Facility. NASA

Astropharmacy / Biotechnology, Microgravity, Nanotechnology & SynBio, Press Release, Space Life Science, Space Stations

Offworld Biotech: 3D Bioprinting On The International Space Station

by Keith CowingDecember 21, 2023December 21, 2023

Imagine someone needs a heart transplant and scientists take cells from that person to create an entire new heart for them. Research on the International Space Station is helping to […]

a Overall structure of E.coli RNA polymerase EC. αI, αII, β′, β and ω subunit of RNAP were colored in green, cyan, gray, yellow, and red, respectively. RNA, template strand DNA (TS), non-template strand DNA (NTS) are shown in red, blue and dark green, respectively. b Model and map of three unnatural base pairs; dB:STP, dB:UTP and dS:BTP are shown with Cryo-EM density maps. c Active site of three UBP EC structures. Bridge helix (BH) is colored in green. UBP in +1 position were colored yellow. Other parts of the structures are colored white. The nitrogen, oxygen, phosphate, and carbon atoms of the base pair at i + 1 position are colored in blue, red, orange, and yellow, respectively. -- Nature Communications

Astropharmacy / Biotechnology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report

Expanding The Natural Genetic Code – Implications For SynBio And Origin Of Life?

by Keith CowingDecember 19, 2023January 10, 2026

Editor’s note: The genetic code of all life (with a few minor exceptions) on our home world is based on a genomic code consisting of 4 standard nucleotides. It is […]

Jasmin Moghbeli processes liver stem cell samples -- NASA

Astropharmacy / Biotechnology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Missions & Hardware, Space Life Science, Space Stations, Status Report

Offworld Life Science Research: Processing Liver Stem Cell Samples For An Aging Study

by Keith CowingDecember 17, 2023December 17, 2023

NASA astronaut and Expedition 70 Flight Engineer Jasmin Moghbeli processes liver stem cell samples inside the Kibo laboratory module’s Life Science Glovebox for the Space AGE investigation.

The cell size and colony morphology of all five novel species. Scanning Electronic Micrograph images of several novel bacterial species identified aboard the ISS in the Microbial Tracking studies. -- Nature

Astropharmacy / Biotechnology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Life Support Systems, Microbiology & Virology, Press Release, Space Life Science, Space Stations

Rare Microbes Discovered Living Inside the International Space Station

by Keith CowingDecember 6, 2023December 6, 2023

Rare microbes fill unique ecological niches and may hold blueprints for powerful new technologies like antibiotics.

Astropharmacy / Biotechnology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Press Release

New Chemical Process Makes It Easier To Craft Amino Acids That Don’t Exist In Nature

by Keith CowingNovember 19, 2023November 19, 2023

Every protein in your body is made up of the same 20 building blocks called amino acids. But just because nature is stuck with a limited toolkit doesn’t mean humans […]

NASA ID: iss070e023971 iss070e023971 (Nov. 13, 2023) Larger image

Astropharmacy / Biotechnology, Microgravity, Missions & Hardware, Nanotechnology & SynBio, Space Life Science, Space Physiology & Medicine, Space Stations, Status Report

Offworld Life Science Research: Fixing A Bioprinter In Space

by Keith CowingNovember 18, 2023December 2, 2023

NASA astronaut and Expedition 70 Flight Engineer Loral O’Hara uses a portable glovebag to replace components on a biological printer, the BioFabrication Facility (BFF), that is testing the printing of […]

Nurse Chapel administers a pharmaceutical via a hypospray to Captain Pike - "Strange New Worlds", Paramount

Astropharmacy / Biotechnology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Microbiology & Virology, Nanotechnology & SynBio, Space Physiology & Medicine, Status Report

Bacillus Subtilis Engineered For Aerospace Medicine: A Platform For Off-planet Production Of Pharmaceutical Peptides

by Keith CowingMay 28, 2023May 28, 2023

Biologics, such as pharmaceutical peptides, have notoriously short shelf lives, insufficient for long-duration space flight missions to the Moon or Mars.

Astropharmacy / Biotechnology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Microbiology & Virology, Nanotechnology & SynBio, Press Release, Radiation, Space Stations

A Self-Replicating Radiation-Shield for Human Deep-Space Exploration

by Keith CowingDecember 28, 2022November 18, 2023

The greatest hazard for humans on deep-space exploration missions is radiation. To protect astronauts venturing out beyond Earth’s protective magnetosphere, advanced passive radiation protection is highly sought after.

Astropharmacy / Biotechnology

Testing Microbial Biomining From Asteroidal Material Onboard The International Space Station

The Astrobiology Habitable Environments Database (AHED) and the Astrobiology Resource Metadata Standard (ARMS): Community-driven Tools For Astrobiological Data

Offworld Biotech: 3D Bioprinting On The International Space Station

Expanding The Natural Genetic Code – Implications For SynBio And Origin Of Life?

Offworld Life Science Research: Processing Liver Stem Cell Samples For An Aging Study

Rare Microbes Discovered Living Inside the International Space Station

New Chemical Process Makes It Easier To Craft Amino Acids That Don’t Exist In Nature

Offworld Life Science Research: Fixing A Bioprinter In Space

Bacillus Subtilis Engineered For Aerospace Medicine: A Platform For Off-planet Production Of Pharmaceutical Peptides

A Self-Replicating Radiation-Shield for Human Deep-Space Exploration

Material Cycling Across Earth’s Spheres And Triggers Of Cambrian Explosion: A Tectonic Perspective

Where Does Earth’s Nitrogen Go? Two Atoms Offer A Clue

Exotic Methanol Discovered In Planet-Building Zones

More Than One Thousand TESS Planets

First Detection Of Variable Water Clouds Outside Of Our Solar System