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The experiment that we are going to perform
on International Space Station regards the use of microchannels
and microparticles to study the transport phenomena
in a confined environment.
My research team has been focused
on implantable drug delivery system
for the control administration of therapeutics
for a standard period of time for the treatment
of chronic pathologies.
When we scale up from the nanoscale to the microscale,
obviously the mass becomes relevant.
So while molecules
at the nanoscale are not very much affected
by gravitational force, gravitational field,
microparticles start having a relevant mass.
Therefore we need to remove the gravitational force
from the picture in order to be able
to capture what really happens into the diffusive transport.
This is the reason why we intend to study this microgravity
onto the International Space Station.
So I clearly envision how this system and this experiment
that we are performing
at the International Space Station will give us the right
insight to develop the new generation
of our implantable systems,
knowing how molecules actually diffuse through the nanochannel.
We really believe that this kind of insight will be instrumental
in moving forward and developing the new generation of devices.
By having a theoretical understanding
of what really happens into the nanochannel we will be able
to bypass a lot of these work and efforts
and actually focus directly on what is going
to be much closer to the final product.
This IP, intellectual property, has been licensed
by a company called NanoMedical Systems
which is based in Austin, Texas.
And NanoMedical Systems is now moving forward toward clinical
translation with again, an implantable device for control
and administration of therapeutics
over an extended period of time.
So we are really thinking
that our research will actually have some benefit
for a population for patients in the near future.
We expect to observe a diffusive transport
of negatively charged particles to be [inaudible hindered]
by this constraining micro channel while instead
for positive charged particle we expect
to see a much faster diffusion with accumulation
of particle along the channel surface.
We will receive images capture International Space Station
in real time.
This will allow us really
to understand immediately what is happening to our devices,
our microchannel devices,
and to tailor the experimental analysis based
on what we are observing.
We have been funded by CASIS for a five year project
in which we will test an implantable device
that can be remotely controlled through Bluetooth RF frequency.
CASIS was particularly interested in this technology
because it can be used in enabling,
assist in enabling technology for study with mice and animals
on International Space Station for a standard period of time.
On International Space Station one
of the biggest limitation is the fact
that you cannot handle the animal freely as well
as you do here down on Earth.
Therefore, you cannot administer drugs at different time points
and you are really limited in the spectrum of research
and experimentation that you can do.
I believe there is real potential
into these investigation that we are performing as well
as the future investigation that we are scheduled to perform
for the implantable delivery systems.