LabCentral to Host Special Virtual Panel on Biotech Innovation in Space

Experts from NASA, International Space Station and LabCentral resident Kernal Biologics to discuss one-of-a-kind space laboratory, mRNA space-based research study and COVID-19

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LabCentral

Sep 11, 2020, 10:52 ET

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Sept. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- LabCentral, the launchpad for high-potential biotech startups, is hosting a special virtual panel focused on biotech innovation in space featuring experts from NASA and the manager of the International Space Station (ISS) U.S. National Laboratory. The discussion will highlight the features and capabilities of the ISS, a one-of-a-kind space laboratory and the value it brings to the biotech and life sciences research community and the general public.

What: Lessons in Biotech and Scientific Innovation from the International Space Station
Attendees will learn about the research opportunities and facilities aboard the space-based research laboratory, which represents one of humankind's greatest technical achievements. Representatives from NASA's ISS Program Research Office and the ISS U.S. National Laboratory will discuss how hundreds of researchers are taking advantage of the lab to further scientific knowledge. NASA Astronaut and Medical Doctor Serena Auñon-Chancellor will share her experiences living and working aboard the orbiting laboratory, along with what it is like to facilitate life science investigations in microgravity. She will also discuss these challenging times, given the COVID-19 pandemic, and how NASA and its partners are working to ensure continued research and operations in space. Yusuf Erkul, M.D., co-founder and CEO of Kernal Biologics, a biotech company at LabCentral that is developing messenger RNA (mRNA) therapeutics for leukemia and lung cancer, will discuss the goals of its research project, which will be sent to the ISS on the next NASA-funded commercial resupply mission (Northrop Grumman CRS-14, slated for no earlier than September 29, 2020).

When: Tuesday, September 15, 2020 from 1 p.m. – 2 p.m. ET

Where: Register to attend for free at http://labcentral.site/space

Who: Moderated by Amirah Al Idrus, Editor of FierceBiotech's Life Sciences Group, the panel will include:

Serena Auñon-Chancellor, M.D., NASA astronaut
David Brady, Associate Program Scientist, NASA's International Space Station Program
Christine Kretz, VP of Programs and Partnerships on behalf of the International Space Station U.S. National Laboratory
Yusuf Erkul, Co-Founder and CEO, Kernal Biologics

The session marks the thirteenth in LabCentral's "Innovation and Biotech in the Time of COVID-19" webinar series, which brings together a wide range of experts to explore the impact of the novel coronavirus on various aspects of the biotech and life sciences field.

To view past webinars in LabCentral's COVID-19 series, visit: https://labcentral.org/news-events/past-events

About LabCentral
A private, non-profit institution, LabCentral was founded in 2013 as a launchpad for high-potential life-sciences and biotech startups. Operating a total of 100,000 square-feet in the heart of Kendall Square in Cambridge, Mass., LabCentral offers fully permitted laboratory and office space for as many as 70 startups comprising approximately 500 scientists and entrepreneurs. More information is available at www.labcentral.org.

SOURCE LabCentral