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Non-Exploration Life Sciences Research within NASA’s Exploration Systems Mission Directorate.  J. Cohen NASA Exploration Systems Mission Directorate, Advanced Capabilities Division, Washington, D.C.

   The Advanced Capabilities Division within the NASA Exploration Systems Mission Directorate, as part of its non-exploration research portfolio, sponsors ground-based, free flyer, and ISS life and microgravity science research which represents an investment consistent with the NASA Authorization Act of 2005 (Public Law No. 109-155).  This portfolio represents a wide array of scientific disciplines covering both the biological and physical sciences.

   This presentation will give an overview of existing life science fundamental research in NASA’s non-exploration ISS research portfolio and potential future opportunities.  During the last two years the Advanced Capabilities Division has funded various peer-reviewed fundamental life sciences ground-based, ISS and free flyer research.  These investigations included ground-based research, ISS experiments (POEMS, Microbe, FIT, Leukin and Tropi), Russian Foton-M2 free flyer experiments (Regeneration, Gecko, Receptor, and Plasmid), and domestic free flyer technology demonstrations (GeneBox and GeneSat).  On-going space environment studies include ISS experiments (SPEGIS, pKinase, PADIAC and APEX-Cambium), Russian Foton-M3 free flyer experiments (Regeneration II, Gecko II, Receptor II and Plasmid II), and domestic free flyer experiment PharmaSat-1.  To increase the availability of low-cost space-based fundamental life science opportunities the Advanced Capabilities Division is working on potential future domestic and international free flyer opportunities that leverage NASA’s collaborations with other governmental agencies, academia, industry and its international partners.