Ed Kelly, PhD, Assistant Director of the Pharmaceutical Bioengineering Extension Program at the University of Washington School of Pharmacy, and co-researcher Jonathan Himmelfarb, MD, are leading a study that will examine the effects of microgravity on the kidneys, and by extension, bone mass impact in relation to kidney function in space.

The kidneys-on-a-chip will be sent to the International Space Station on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket where experiments will be conducted by the resident astronaut scientists. One of the major challenges of the study design was shrinking the self-contained lab unit from the size of a standard home refrigerator down to the equivalent of a medium-sized microwave.

Click here to learn more about the study design and research planning.