Thanks For The Free Launch, NASA
Groundbreaking Epigenetics Research to be Conducted on International Space Station, Zymo Research Corporation
“Zymo Research Corporation is taking epigenetics research to the next level outer space. DNA, that was bisulfite converted using the EZ DNA Methylation-Lightning Kit manufactured by Zymo Research Corporation, will be sent to the International Space Station (ISS), as part of the inaugural “Genes in Space” challenge. The contest invites young scientists to design a DNA experiment that uses PCR to test their scientific hypothesis.”
Keith’s update: This is a really cool project that taps the unique research capabilities of the ISS as well as stimulates students to pursue a career in science. I hope this is just the beginning and that there will be more payloads like this. But there is no mention in this press release of CASIS who underwrites experiments like these to the tune of $7.5 million – or of NASA who pays all of CASIS’ bills. It is somewhat odd that CASIS has not made certain that they – and NASA – get some credit for underwriting things like this.
It’s not clear to me how the absence of gravity would be expected to affect this experiment. Perhaps they are using PCR to look for chromosomal breakage. Possibly that would be due to radiation, however more precise measures of radiation exposure in space are available.
B…bu…but it’s space!!
You can say that about a lot of things that people fly as payloads.
Can I get a grant to determine whose image appears on bread toasted in microgravity?
Grants of funds, where they have occurred, have been very small. For the most part organizations with internally developed payloads have been provided with low-cost o free flight opportunities. Some of these, particularly low-cost special-purpose Earth-observation payloads have IMO produced useful data.
That’s interesting. It’s very different from how NASA’s Science Mission Directorate would handle the funding. A SMD instrument on someone else’s spacecraft is usually considered a hosted payload, and fully funded as a Stand-along Mission of Opportunity. TWINS flew that way on a couple of national security satellites. There is a US instrument in development for the ESA BepiColumbo mission to Mercury, funded as a Discovery MoO. I think some of the CubeSats deployed from ISS were funded this way as well.
CASIS seems to be oblivious as to the basic ways that you promote and coordinate research activities. Missed opportunities seems to be their specialty.
And in fact have even said so; when asked if they looked at existing national labs’ organization they said they decided to forge something new.