Crustaceans May Help Heal Space Injuries

U.S. scientists say they suspect an ingredient found in shrimp and lobster shells might make future missions to Mars safer for space crews.

Scientists from Harvey Mudd College in California and the University of Louisville are collaborating with the bioengineering and biomaterials company BioSTAR West to better understand how to treat injuries aboard long space flights.

The research is led by investigators at Hawaii Chitopure Inc., a Honolulu biomaterials company specializing in the manufacture of ultra-pure chitosan — a polymer developed from the shells of crustaceans such as lobsters, crabs, and shrimp.

The team has developed a series of space experiments using chitosan, which has been approved for use in the United States in bandages and other hemostatic agents. The experiments focusing on the effect of microgravity on human monocytes– typically one of the first responses to infection and trauma — will be launched aboard space shuttle Endeavour, scheduled for an Aug. 7 lift off on an 11-day mission to the International Space Station.

An identical experiment will be simultaneously conducted on Earth and, after the mission, the space-based and ground-based cellular expressions will be compared.