The Biotechnology Space Research Alliance (BSRA)

The Biotechnology Space Research Alliance (BSRA), a San Diego based collaborative, seeks to stimulate participation in the National Laboratory of the International Space Station (ISS) validating its capabilities as a unique and cost effective research environment for breakthrough biomedical and biotechnology discoveries.

Research in Space-The Benefits

• 40 years of NASA’s investment in space bioscience research has validated that space provides a unique physical environment for applied research leading to new intellectual property and knowledge;
• Significant progress has been made in the fields of infectivity, aging and cancer;
• Space experiments have shown that a microgravity environment has profound 3-dimensional effects on cell/tissue cultures providing advantages over Earth-bound 2-dimensional research.
  
  

Science Education and Workforce Development

• Develop biotechnology and space-related educational (formal and informal) and general outreach programs and activities;
• Tele-science capabilities will allow the BRSA to broadcast lessons to San Diego K-12 classrooms from the ISS;
• Tele-research capabilities will allow scientists from research institutes, universities and life science companies around the country to interact with scientists on the International Space Station in order tocollaborate on important research projects.
  
  

The Unique Opportunity for Biotechnology Companies

In 2006 the United States Congress he ISSdesignated the U.S. portions of the ISS as a National Laboratory.  This legislation makes t available for commercial and academic-led research.  NASA is actively seeking partners for commercial applications and research, basic research and education.  NASA will:

• Fly research experiments to and from the ISS;
• Authorize NASA scientists to work on research experiments/teach lessons from space;
• Make Astronaut time available to support BSRA experiments
  

BSRA Collaborative Participants:

BIOCOM, BIOCOM Institute, Connect, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, San Diego Regional EDC, Space Grant Education and Enterprise Institute, UCSD (Health Sciences, Jacobs School, Regents)