NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Scientists and payload developers can get more information on International Space Station research facilities by contacting the ISS Payloads Office or at 281-244-6187.

OpNom:

Overview | Description | Applications | Operations | Results | Publications | Imagery

Facility Overview


Brief Facility Summary

The Biotechnology Specimen Temperature Controller (BSTC) supported the Cellular Biotechnology Operations Science System (CBOSS) investigations, a series of experiments to refine and further develop bioreactor technology. The BSTC provided the environmental and metabolic support required to grow and maintain mammalian cell cultures in microgravity, which could lead to unprecedented opportunities for breakthroughs in biomedical research and biotechnology.

Facility Manager(s)

John E. Love, Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX, United States

Co-Facility Manager(s)

Information Pending

Facility Developer(s)

Wyle, Integrated Science and Engineering, Houston, TX, United States

Sponsoring Agency

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Expeditions Assigned

3,4,5

Previous ISS Missions

Information Pending

^ back to top

---

Facility Description

Facility Overview

• The Biotechnology Specimen Temperature Controller (BSTC) provided a platform for the Cellular Biotechnology Operations Science System (CBOSS) investigations to study basic cell-to-cell interactions in a microgravity environment and the formation of functional cell aggregates.



• The BSTC was designed to allow multiple experiments studying various types of cells to operate simultaneously. It was a multicomponent cell incubator meant to grow three-dimensional clusters of cells in microgravity.

Description

The Biotechnology Specimen Temperature Controller (BSTC) supported the Cellular Biotechnology Operations Science System (CBOSS) investigations aboard the International Space Station (ISS) by providing a stable environment for cell culture investigations. The BSTC, a self-contained apparatus, was designed to allow multiple experiments that used various cell types to operate simultaneously. It was a multicomponent cell incubator whose purpose was to grow three-dimensional clusters of cells in microgravity. The BSTC was configured to have one large chamber that could house 32 stationary tissue culture modules (TCMs) clear Teflon^® bags that hold approximately 30 milliliters (1 oz) of growth media, at temperatures between 4 and 50 °C (between 39.2 and 122 °F). The BSTC was reconfigured to include a gas purge system, carbon dioxide monitoring (provided by the front display), and an Ethernet connection to the International Space Station (ISS) computer via the EXpedite the PRocessing of Experiments to Space Station (EXPRESS) rack.

The CBOSS investigations required a suite of interrelated hardware that also included the following hardware:

• Biotechnology Cell Science Stowage (BCSS) consisted of stowage units designed to safely and efficiently package and transport cellular biotechnology equipment and materials required to conduct experiments on board the ISS.



• The Biotechnology Refrigerator (BTR) was a thermoelectric, temperature-controlled unit that provided 0.53 cubic feet of cold storage at 4 °C (39.2 °F). Temperature-sensitive cell samples and stowage items were carried to the ISS in the BTR.



• The Cellular Biotechnology Cryodewar (CBC) was used to store frozen cell samples until orbit was achieved and the experiments were initiated on the ISS. The CBC was a passive device that employed absorbed liquid nitrogen as the cryogen.



• The Gas Supply Module (GSM) supplied a continuous flow of an air-carbon dioxide mixture to the BSTC to support and maintain the chemical and physiological processes required to sustain cell cultures. The system was mechanical, requiring no electrical power. Two independent supply lines were available to support multiple experiments, and all four of the unit's gas cylinders could be connected to provide a common supply source. The GSM held up to 634 quarts (600 liters) of gas when charged to 2,575 psi (181 kilograms per centimeter).

^ back to top

---

Operations

Facility Operations

The Biotechnology Specimen Temperature Controller (BSTC) and Gas Supply Module (GSM) were housed side by side in lockers 1 and 5, respectively, of EXpedite the PRocessing of Experiments to Space Station (EXPRESS) rack 4. At the end of Increment 3, the Biotechnology Refrigerator (BTR) was also transferred to EXPRESS rack 4. The GSM did not use power or gas supplied by the EXPRESS rack, but did interface with the International Space Station computer via the EXPRESS rack's Ethernet connection. BCSS-1 and -4, which were housed directly below the BSTC and GSM in lockers 2 and 6, did not require EXPRESS rack support. The BTR was located in EXPRESS rack 1, locker 6. It operated on 160 watts of continuous power and an Ethernet connection provided by the rack.

^ back to top

---

Results/More Information

During operations on the International Space Station, the crew regularly performed preventive maintenance on the Biotechnology Specimen Temperature Controller (BSTC) components. The BSTC performed nominally during operations.

^ back to top

---

Availability

Operated on ISS

^ back to top

---

Results Publications

^ back to top

---

Ground Based Results Publications

^ back to top

---

ISS Patents

^ back to top

---

Related Publications

^ back to top

---

Related Websites

NIH BioMed-ISS Meeting, 2009—BSTC

NIH BioMed-ISS Meeting Video Presentation, 2009—BSTC

^ back to top

---

Imagery

NASA Image: ISS004E8067 - A photo of EXpedite the PRocessing of Experiments to Space Station (EXPRESS) rack 4 in the U.S. Laboratory, Destiny, taken during Expedition Four. EXPRESS rack 4 housed components for the Cellular Biotechnology Operations Support System experiment: the Biotechnology Specimen Temperature Controller (upper left corner), Gas Supply Module (upper right corner), and Biotechnology Refrigerator (below the Gas Supply Module).
+ View Larger Image


NASA Image: ISS003E329006 - Expedition Three Mission Commander Frank L. Culbertson, wearing a mask, works with the Biotechnology Specimen Temperature Controller during the Cellular Biotechnology Operations Support System experiments in the U.S. Laboratory, Destiny.
+ View Larger Image


NASA Image: ISS009E05444 - EXpedite the PRocessing of Experiments to Space Station (EXPRESS) rack 4 in the U.S. Laboratory, Destiny, during Expedition 9. The following equipment is visible in the EXPRESS rack: Biotechnology Specimen Temperature Controller (upper left corner) and Gas Supply Module (upper right corner).
+ View Larger Image