Researchers at the University of Notre Dame are using the International Space Station National Laboratory to advance biosensing technology for early cancer detection.
CAPE CANAVERAL (FL), September 3, 2024 – The University of Notre Dame is leading a groundbreaking experiment on the International Space Station (ISS) to revolutionize early cancer detection. This research, featured in the latest issue of Up high, official journal of the ISS National Laboratory®, demonstrates how bubbles created in microgravity can greatly enhance biosensing technology by focusing on microscopic objects better than on Earth.
The third successful test, launched on the ISS and Northrop Grumman’s 21st Commercial Resupply Services and orbiting laboratory, provided by NASA, builds on the research previously supported by the ISS National Lab. The most recent research introduced laser heating to alter the behavior of the bubbles, increasing the concentration of the material collected – an important factor in the detection of cancer and other substances in the blood. These advances could improve the sensitivity of biosensors, opening the way for earlier and more accurate cancer diagnosis.
“Current technology to screen for early, asymptomatic cancer before the tumor is seen during imaging is limited to only a few cancers,” said principal investigator Tengfei Luo, dean of the department of aerospace and engineering at University of Notre Dame says. Dame, inside Up high article. “If the diagnosis of cancer is improved using our bubble technology in space and made cheaper, many more cancers will be diagnosed, and everyone can benefit. It is something we can put in a test every year. It sounds impossible, but it is possible.”
ISS National Lab Commercial Service provider Space Tango has partnered with Luo’s team to develop a unique CubeLab hardware to simulate the study of bubble formation and behavior in microgravity. The equipment includes advanced imaging systems designed to capture high-resolution data and bubble changes.
“We’re using this unique space environment to push the boundaries of what’s possible in biosensing,” Luo said. “Our ultimate goal is to make these powerful research tools globally accessible and at the lowest cost in the world and to make the fastest possible discoveries in space.”
For more details on ongoing research, read in full article inside Up high.
Download high-resolution image: University of Notre Dame scientists
Contact information:
Patrick O’Neill
904-806-0035
[email protected]
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About the International Space Station (ISS) National Laboratory: The International Space Station (ISS) is a one-of-a-kind laboratory that enables research and development of technologies not possible on Earth. As a public service institution, the ISS National Laboratory® offers researchers the opportunity to support this multiuser facility to improve life on Earth, business models based on space, to advance skills scientific education and future workers, and expanding sustainable and sustainable markets with low-cost. Earth’s orbit. Through this orbiting national laboratory, research facilities on the ISS are available to support non-NASA science, technology and education from US government agencies, academic institutions, and the private sector. The Center for the Advancement of Science in Space™ (CASIS™) manages the ISS National Laboratory, under a Cooperative Agreement with NASA, making access to its microgravity research environment a permanent, powerful space on Earth low, with a wide range of conditions. of space. To learn more about the ISS National Laboratory, visit our website.
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