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Canadian Space Agency

Press Release
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Two Canadian Science Projects Onboard
  Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-107)
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Saint-Hubert, Quebec, January 16, 2003 - Launched today from the
Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-107) will 
spend 16 days in orbit to allow astronauts to perform some 100 science 
experiments in microgravity on behalf of researchers from around the 
world. Canadian scientists are flying two research projects involving 
several experiments onboard Columbia. These experiments could 
ultimately have applications in the health sector.

The OSTEO-2 experiments will further our understanding of bone loss
during spaceflight. Three science teams have been selected for this
project: two represent the Canadian academic community and the third
is a joint venture between the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and two
industrial partners. Dr. Leticia G. Rao, Principal Investigator, and
Dr. Tim Murray, co-investigator, both of St. Michael's Hospital in
Toronto, lead a team investigating the use of hormones to increase
bone formation in microgravity. Another team, led by Dr. Reginald M.
Gorczynski of the University Health Network (UHN), Toronto, will
investigate how disturbances in sleep and immune functions may
influence bone metabolism. Finally, Mr. Dennis R. Sindrey of Millenium 
Biologix, together with Dr. Bradford T. Brinton of NPS
Pharmaceuticals, will build on the previous OSTEO-1 experiment to
characterize and identify bone gene regulation patterns in
microgravity. Furthermore, Dr. Heersche from the University of Toronto 
will look at how microgravity affects the differentiation of cells 
involved in bone metabolism and examine the observation that in bone, 
fat cell differentiation is inversely proportional to bone cell
differentiation. 

The other Canadian research project onboard STS-107 involves protein
crystal growth. Earth-based laboratories have a hard time growing
large or perfect protein crystals. The size and quality of proteins
crystallized in space are usually much better because gravity-induced
effects such as sedimentation and convection do not impair their
growth. This makes space-grown protein crystals much easier and more
interesting to study. Scientists study the architecture of
crystallized proteins to understand how their molecules interact. A
precise knowledge of protein structures helps design more efficient
medication, with fewer side effects. Protein crystal growth has
applications in the fight against cancer and diabetes, as well as in
research to control antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The principal
investigators of this research project are Dr. Lin, Universite Laval;
Dr. Sygusch, Universite de Montreal; Dr. Christendat, University of
Toronto; Dr. Delbaere, University of Saskatchewan; and Dr. Cygler,
Biotechnology Research Institute.

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For more information, contact:

Monique Billette
Senior Media Relations Officer
Canadian Space Agency
Telephone: (450) 926-4370
E-mail: monique.billette{at}space.gc.ca

Mission STS-107 Website:
www.space.gc.ca/asc/eng/csa_sectors/space_science/sts-107.asp

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