Is Earthbound Innovation Outpacing Microgravity Research?

Bioreactors Drive Advances in Tissue Engineering, NASA Spinoffs 2011
“Johnson Space Center innovators created a rotating wall bioreactor that mimics microgravity conditions, allowing for healthier, more natural-forming cell cultures. Licensed to Synthecon Inc. of Houston, the technology now enables drug development and medical research into treatment for conditions such as diabetes and cancer.”
New method makes culture of complex tissue possible in any lab, University of California – San Diego
“Scientists at the University of California, San Diego have developed a new method for making scaffolds for culturing tissue in three-dimensional arrangements that mimic those in the body. This advance, published online in the journal Advanced Materials, allows the production of tissue culture scaffolds containing multiple structurally and chemically distinct layers using common laboratory reagents and materials. According to the UC San Diego researchers, this process is more affordable and widely feasible than previous methods that required expensive equipment and expertise.”
– While NASA Flies In Circles Technology Advances Back on Earth, earlier post
– Another Alternative to ISS-Based Research (Update), earlier post
– Using the ISS: Once Again NASA Has Been Left in the Dust, earlier post