WIRED Staff
Science

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The road to Mars is rough, and astronauts may need replacement body tissue on the way. British researchers are teaming up with NASA to find ways to grow it. By Lakshmi Sandhana.
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The long-term goal is to take bioreactors on space flights so that astronauts can regenerate their own tissue, to replace what has been damaged by space radiation.Courtesy of NASA/Johnson Space Center

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Blood-derived adult stem cells can develop into brain tissues. NASA aims to launch a program that will take adult stem cells derived from astronauts' blood, and put them in a zero-g-microgravity-simulating bioreactor. Using the right cocktail of stimuli, the cells can be instructed to grow to regenerate damaged tissue.

Courtesy of Kingston University
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The Biotechnology Specimen Temperature Controller will cultivate cells until their turn in the bioreactor; it can also be used in culturing experiments that do not require the bioreactor.

Courtesy of NASA/Johnson Space Center