KENNEDY SPACE CENTER (FL), August 2, 2021 – The 10th International Space Station Research and Development Conference (ISSRDC) kicks off tomorrow and will be held virtually August 3-5. This annual event brings together researchers, engineers, entrepreneurs, investors,  and the general public to discuss the benefits of space-based research and technology development on the orbiting platform. This year’s event is expected to include luminary speakers in policy and science, such as:

• NASA Administrator Bill Nelson
• National Institutes of Health Director Francis Collins
• Under Secretary of the Smithsonian Institute Ellen Stofan
• NASA International Space Station (ISS) Program Manager Joel Montalbano
• NASA astronaut Kate Rubins
• NASA astronaut Serena Auñón-Chancellor
• Emmy-nominated science TV host Emily Calandrelli

Sessions will focus on integral topics to the space station research community, including:

• ISS research and development
• Future of ISS research
• Industry partner spotlights
• Tissue engineering
• Biomanufacturing
• In-space production applications
• Student research
• Space investment

How to attend ISSRDC:

ISSRDC 2021 is free to attend, although registration is required. To view the agenda and register for this free virtual event, go to www.issconference.org. As registrants for the conference, media will have the ability to ask questions to panelists during sessions.

For questions or inquiries for researchers and session panelists, please contact Patrick O’Neill at PONeill@ISSNationalLab.org.

We look forward to seeing you at this annual showcase of space-based research and technology development!

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER (FL), August 2, 2021 – The 2021 International Space Station Research and Development Conference (ISSRDC) will feature a fireside chat on biomanufacturing in space. Gary Rodrigue, director of programs and partnerships at the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS), will moderate a discussion with Dr. William Wagner, director of the University of Pittsburgh’s McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine. The discussion will focus on the value of space-based biomanufacturing and the critical role of the orbiting laboratory in advancing this research area.

Spaceflight studies over the last decade have shown that microgravity can enable a better understanding of fundamental biology and accelerate advancements in health care and medical technologies. Utilizing the low Earth orbit environment for biomedical research could lead to discoveries not possible on Earth. One area that has potential to provide both benefits to Earth and economic value is biomanufacturing in space. Biomanufacturing is the use of biological and nonbiological materials to produce commercially relevant biomolecules and biomaterials for use in preclinical, clinical, and therapeutic applications.

In 2020, CASIS, manager of the International Space Station (ISS) U.S. National Laboratory, hosted a Biomanufacturing in Space Symposium together with the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine. The symposium brought together thought leaders in the areas of regenerative medicine, tissue engineering, and space-based research. The goal of the symposium was to identify the most promising opportunities to leverage the ISS for research and development (R&D) to advance space-based biomanufacturing. The symposium identified multiple opportunities in three key areas: disease modeling using microphysiological systems (also called tissue chips) and organoids, stem cells and stem-cell-derived products, and biofabrication. A perspective paper developed from the symposium was recently published in Preprints.

The ISSRDC session with Dr. Wagner will review the current state of biomedical research on the space station and highlight outcomes from the symposium. The session will also discuss how the ISS National Lab is uniquely positioned to enable R&D to advance space-based biomanufacturing and drive a robust biomanufacturing market in low Earth orbit.

The 10th annual ISSRDC will be held virtually August 3-5. This session will take place August 3, 1:30-2 p.m. EDT. ISSRDC is free to attend, although registration is required. To learn more about ISSRDC, view the latest agenda and speakers, and register, please visit www.issconference.org.

MEDIA CONTACT
Patrick O’Neill
904-806-0035
PONeill@ISSNationalLab.org

Don’t miss this virtual conference focused on opportunities to advance research and development (R&D) and commercial pursuits in low Earth orbit. This week, August 3-5, you can join hundreds of other professionals who need to stay current on topics such as:

• Space policy
• Space-based R&D in the areas of regenerative medicine, in-space production applications, advanced materials, and more
• Investment in the evolving low Earth orbit economy
• Inspiring the next generation through space-based research and programs

All content is free to those registered—but you must register to gain access. All sessions will be recorded and made available through the Attendees Hub, the new online stop for everything connected to the International Space Station Research and Development Conference (ISSRDC). Once registered, you’ll be able to attend every session during the conference. No need to choose—you’ll get it all.

Here’s your chance to learn the latest about the accelerated testing of technologies and materials in the extreme conditions of space.

ISSRDC 2021 will include sessions with luminary scientific figures such as:

• Bill Nelson, NASA administrator
• Francis Collins, Director of the National Institutes of Health
• Kate Rubins, NASA astronaut
• Serena Auñón-Chancellor, NASA astronaut
• Ellen Stofan, Under Secretary for the Smithsonian Institute
• Joel Montalbano, ISS Program Manager, NASA
• Thomas Zurbuchen, Associate Administrator for the Science Mission Directorate, NASA
• Emily Calandrelli, Emmy-nominated science television personality
• Dozens of space station researchers, hardware and facility partners, and more

To view the full agenda and to register, visit www.issconference.org.