WS06: What if the Next Breakthrough in Medicine Isn't on Planet Earth?

WS06.01 - Kris Kimel - The Exomedicine Institute

WS06.02 - Twyman Clements - Space Tango

WS06.03 - Gentry Barnett - Space Tango

WS06.04 - Michael Golway - Advanced Technologies

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Life on earth evolved from simple single cell organisms into complex multi-cell life forms over billions of years by adapting to the ever-changing environment on our planet. Through all these changes, one thing has remained constant, the force of Earth’s gravity. In all living organisms, their up-down and left-right asymmetry, structural strength, size and shape of force-producing elements, sensory systems and how they age have evolved with a constant compass, 1g force. When we subtract that 1g force...do cells/organisms live shorter or longer, do they become structurally stronger or weaker, do they develop more or less disease, do medications we use to treat disease have more or less effect? In the vast majority of cases the answers here are...we simply don’t know.

This workshop will center on the expanding field of Exomedicine - The R&D and commercialization of medical solutions in the microgravity environment of space for applications on Earth. With the rapid advancement of micro-technologies and greatly expanded access to space, we now have an unprecedented opportunity to study and undertake novel R&D involving living organisms and disease processes in microgravity...in areas including neurodegenerative diseases, regenerative medicine, cancer, etc.

Following the talk, participants will visit the Space Design Lab where experiments and technology for space are designed and manufactured. The Lab also includes an International Space Station (ISS) Mission Control Center that provides video, data and voice access to the ISS and the astronauts.

Kris Kimel is President and a founder of the Kentucky Science and Technology Corporation (KSTC), an independent non-profit company with a reputation for designing and executing ambitious and diverse initiatives in science, technology, entrepreneurship and disruptive innovation. He is a founder of two subsidiary companies...Kentucky Space (nonprofit company) and Space Tango LLC (for-profit enterprise); both focus on the design and development of small high-value satellites and applications and novel space platforms and experiments (particularly in the field of exomedicine) for the International Space Station (ISS). Kris is also the founder of the IdeaFestival an international event centering on innovation, discovery and creative thinking across different disciplines.

Twyman Clements is President and CEO of Space Tango, Inc. a Lexington, Kentucky based company focused on utilizing space for solutions on Earth. The company designs technology, platforms, and software to enable high-throughput research and manufacturing on orbit. Clements also serves as Sr. Space Systems Engineer for Kentucky Space LLC (Space Tango’s R&D partner). His experience includes multiple CubeSat, ISS tech development and Exomedicine related experiments.

Luke H. Bradley completed his undergraduate studies at Ohio University and received his Ph.D. in biochemistry from Ohio State University. He was a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Michael Hecht at Princeton University, where his studies focused on synthetic biology/protein chemistry and design. Dr. Bradley is currently a faculty member in the departments of Anatomy and Neurobiology, and Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry. He is also affiliated with the University of Kentucky’s Honors Program, Center of Structural Biology, and the Parkinson's Disease Translational Center of Excellence. Dr. Bradley’s research interests include the discovery and development of novel, synthetic peptide- and protein-based molecular platforms for diagnostics and biotherapeutics.

Learning Objectives

At the conclusion of this session, attendees will be able to:

1. Achieve a fundamental understanding of the biomedical dynamics and changes in the microgravity environment of space.
2. Explore the concept of Exomedicine and the implications for the development of new medical treatments , bioengineered products and pharmaceuticals for applications on Earth.
3. Hear about recent experiments and missions and how to become engaged in Exomedicine R&D.