Objective:

To explore the Galactic Grant Competition, which allows companies to conduct research in space, specifically on the International Space Station (ISS).

Approach:

• Initiative Overview: The Galactic Grant Competition is a partnership between the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS) and the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center (MLSC), aimed at facilitating research in microgravity.
• Research Opportunities: The competition is open only to Massachusetts-based companies and allows them to utilize the ISS for research that could lead to advancements in drug discovery, development, and diagnostics.

Key Findings:

• The microgravity environment of the ISS has unique effects on biological phenomena.
• Current projects include studying muscle atrophy in mice and cancer drug mechanisms using yeast.

Interpretation:

Limitations:

• The competition is restricted to companies based in Massachusetts.
• Applications are limited to a specific timeframe, with winners announced in July 2015.

Conclusion:

The Galactic Grant Competition represents a novel approach to pharmaceutical research in space.

Sources:

• Galactic Grant Competition Overview