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Astrogenetix Works With NASA To Use Microgravity To Develop New Medicines

August 26, 2009

Along with supply and equipment cargo bound according to the International Space Station, Space Shuttle Discovery STS-128 disposition carry an additional scientific payload being conducted by the agency of Austin-based Astrogenetix, the first commercial distance company to application microgravity to discover the foundation of new medicines.

Specifically, research faculty of volition exist conducted on Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella microbes in search of a possible mark for a therapeutic agent or vaccine candidate. These bacterial microbes are known to cause hundreds of thousands of medically diagnosed infections every year around the world.

Astrogenetix has worked closely with NASA to fully utilize the International Space Station, one of NASA’session chief priorities. The Company has flown on five shuttle missions performing drug development in microgravity since its formation in early 2008, has been designated a National Lab Pathfinder and is slated to fly on all remaining shuttle missions.

“Through our unique Vaccine Processing Platform, we hope to reveal commencing medicines in space that bequeath benefit lives on Earth,” said John Porter, chief executive functionary of Astrogenetix, and senior vice president and chief pecuniary officer of parent company Astrotech Corporation.

When operated in microgravity, the Astrogenetix Vaccine Processing Platform dramatically reduces time-to-vaccine discovery because microgravity elicits unique interactions in biological systems that observe not occur in terrestrial laboratories. Returning samples from this flight will subsist examined and added to Astrogenetix’sitting growing database of biomarker research. Post-flight analysis give by the agency of will immediately ensue at terrestrial labs in search of specific medicine candidates gleaned from the results.

“We’re really on the forefront of a portion big here,” related Thomas B. Pickens III, Astrotech’session chief executive officer and chairman of the committee. “We have any acclaimed duration body of knowledge team, combined with the world’s most advanced technology, to lead the field of medical discovery into the next marches.”

Astrogenetix, Inc. was formed by Astrotech Corp. to commercialize biotechnology products processed in the unique environment of microgravity. Over the last 25 years, Astrotech Corp. has supported the launch of 23 shuttle missions and additional than 260 spacecraft, built space hardware and processing facilities, and prepared and processed scientific research beneficial to microgravity.

About Astrogenetix, Incorporated

Astrogenetix is the first commercial biotechnology company to use the unique microgravity environment of capacity to develop novel therapeutic products. A co-operating of Astrotech Corporation (Nasdaq: ASTC), Astrogenetix was formed to commercialize biotechnology products processed in the unique environment of microgravity. The Company also offers a turn-key platform since pre-flight sample readiness, flight hardware, errand planning and operations, crew training and certification processes needed within the in a high degree. regulated and complex environment of manned space flight. For more information about Astrogenetix, Inc. choose see our website at http://www.astrogenetix.com.

Source
Astrotech Corporation

Written by Samanta · Filed Under Pharmacy Industry News