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National Laboratory Pathfinder - Vaccine (NLP-Vaccine)
03.22.12

Overview | Description | Applications | Operations | Results | Publications | Images

Experiment/Payload Overview

Brief Summary

The National Laboratory Pathfinder - Vaccine (NLP-Vaccine) is a commercial investigation serving as a pathfinder for the use of the International Space Station (ISS) as a National Laboratory after ISS assembly is complete. NLP-Vaccine uses microgravity to examine pathogenic (disease-causing) organisms to develop a potential vaccine for the prevention of infection on Earth and in microgravity.

Principal Investigator

  • Timothy G. Hammond, M.B.B.S., Durham Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States

    • Co-Investigator(s)/Collaborator(s)

    Information Pending

    Payload Developer

    University of Colorado at Boulder, BioServe Space Technologies, Boulder, CO, United States

    Sponsoring Space Agency

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

    Sponsoring Organization:

    National Laboratory Office (NLO)

    ISS Expedition Duration:

    October 2007 - September 2012



    Expeditions Assigned

    16, 31/32

    Previous ISS Missions

    The NLP-Vaccine series of investigations began on STS-123/1JA during ISS Expedition 16.

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    Experiment/Payload Description

    Research Summary

    • Microbes cause a wide range of illnesses that result in death worldwide. In the US, adverse effects caused by pathogenic (disease-causing) organisms cost billions of dollars annually to treat. There is currently no vaccine available for many common forms of pathogenic organisms.


    • For the National Laboratory Pathfinder - Vaccine (NLP-Vaccine) investigation, a unique and simple model of infection is used. The microbe is grown in space under conditions known to effect bacterial potency; the strains which are identified as the least potent following microgravity exposure are selected as candidates for use in vaccine development on Earth.


    • The pathogenic organisms and Caenorhabditis elegans worms are launched separated, then serially mixed, grown and fixed in flight. Once the experiment is completed on orbit and returned to Earth, analysis of virulence is completed by the investigator.

    Description

    The 2005 NASA Authorization Act designated a portion of the International Space Station (ISS) as a National Laboratory. NASA is providing an opportunity for non-governmental entities to conduct research and development and potentially industrial processing on board the ISS. These opportunities aboard the ISS are considered National Lab Pathfinder (NLP) missions. These NLP missions launch to the ISS on each available shuttle mission, until the shuttle is retired.

    The NLP-Vaccine investigation takes advantage of knowledge gained in previous space flight studies of microorganisms to identify the target genes for virulence (infection potential). Each flight opportunity of this investigation provides additional insight about the bacteria and the changes that are occurring as they grow in space. The knowledge is applied to streamline and accelerate the development of vaccines and therapeutics on Earth.

    For NLP-Vaccine, the pathogenic organism and the Caenorhabditis elegans worms are launched separated and serially mixed, grown and fixed in flight. Once the experiment is completed on orbit and returned to Earth, analysis of virulence is completed by the investigator.

    NLP-Vaccine flies on the Space Shuttle to the ISS as NLP-Vaccine-7, NLP-Vaccine-10.

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    Applications

    Space Applications

    Results from this experiment may help scientists more clearly understand measures that should be taken to reduce the risk of infection and contraction of disease while in space.

    Earth Applications

    There is currently no vaccine available for the strains of organisms being examined by the NLP-Vaccine investigation. This research may help develop a vaccine against these life threatening organisms.

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    Operations

    Operational Requirements

    NLP-Vaccine is conducted under both ambient and temperature controlled conditions. It does not require image or data download.

    Operational Protocols

    The research is contained in the Fluid Processing Apparatus (FPA). In order to activate the samples, the crew turns a hand crank that has been inserted onto the top of the GAP which contains the FPAs. Once the samples are activated for a predetermined length of time, the crew again turns the hand crank on top of the GAPs to terminate the experiment. The terminated samples are returned to Earth.

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    Results/More Information

    Information Pending

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    Related Web Sites
  • VA Research Project on NASA Space Shuttle
  • Media Advisory - NASA Studies Microbes on Space Shuttle Flight
  • BioServe Space Technologies
  • Astrogenetix
  • Payoffs from ISS Research

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    Publications

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    Ground Based Results Publications

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    ISS Patent Publications

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    Related Publications

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    Images

    imageNASA Image: S130E006283 - Astronaut Robert Behnken, STS-130 mission specialist, works with a Fluid Processing Apparatus, which is part of the NLP-Vaccine, Group Activation Pack, on the middeck of space shuttle Endeavour during flight day two activities.


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    Information provided by the investigation team to the ISS Program Scientist's Office.
    If updates are needed to the summary please contact JSC-ISS-Program-Science-Group. For other general questions regarding space station research and technology, please feel free to call our help line at 281-244-6187 or e-mail at JSC-ISS-Payloads-Helpline.
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