Hughes-Fulford Laboratory Patches and their Project Aboard the ISS!
In 2014, TJM Promos was contacted by the Hughes-Fulford Laboratory, a research laboratory from San Francisco. They asked us to make patches celebrating their research project “T-Cell Activation in Space” that will be part of Expedition 38 aboard the International Space Station. Obviously, we were very excited about such a unique opportunity! Directed by former ...
Mark Anderson
In 2014, TJM Promos was contacted by the Hughes-Fulford Laboratory, a research laboratory from San Francisco. They asked us to make patches celebrating their research project "T-Cell Activation in Space" that will be part of Expedition 38 aboard the International Space Station. Obviously, we were very excited about such a unique opportunity!
Directed by former astronaut Millie Hughes-Fulford, the Hughes-Fulford Laboratory is located in the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in San Francisco. Dr. Hughes-Fulford and her associates focus on understanding the mechanisms which regulate cell growth in mammals.
Their latest research project: "T-Cell Activation in Space" aims to "identify the defect in T-cell activation, an immune response….during microgravity exposure." According to the mission summary on the NASA website, this research will also help in understanding and treating a range of auto-immune diseases such as arthritis and diabetes.
Mark, our Social Media Manager, was able to talk to Miya Yoshida, a researcher from Hughes-Fulford Laboratory, about the timeline of the project:
"Our grant includes two spaceflights – SpaceX-3 and SpaceX-5. Once SpaceX-3 splashes down, we will head over to Long Beach to pick up our samples and bring them back to the lab. After that, it will take around 2-3 weeks to isolate the RNA from all of the samples and then a couple months out from there to run the experiments analyzing the gene expression and production of microRNAs. SpaceX-5 isn't scheduled to launch until September 2014, and even after that, we will be carrying out ground control studies here in our lab for at least a couple months."
Ms. Yoshida was also kind enough to include a few pictures of the research team wearing the patches on their lab coats and shirts:
The Hughes-Fulford team is on the right in the blue shirts, with Dr. Hughes-Fulford pictured in the back center of the photo.
The Hughes-Fulford team hard at work! Dr. Hughes-Fulford is pictured in the back right of the photo.
Although SpaceX-3 was originally scheduled to launch last December, SpaceX has moved the launch date back several times due to either technical issues or non-ideal launch conditions. The next tentative launch date is Monday, April 14th at 4:58 P.M. EDT at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral.
Our location in Ocala, Florida offers a great view of the horizon on clear days. We were able to get this great picture of a previous SpaceX launch above the clouds last year that clearly shows the engine separation:
TJM Promos is looking forward to the launch of the research project, and we'll be keeping an eye on the horizon when the countdown timer reaches zero. It's an honor to work on patches for any aspect of the space program, and we love learning more about the research involved (even if some – ok, most — of it goes over our heads.) We extend a huge thank you to Hughes-Fulford Laboratory for working with us, and a special thanks to researcher Miya Yoshida for taking the time to talk with us. Good luck and clear skies on all your future projects!
UPDATED 4/14/14 4:00 P.M. Eastern: Due to a helium leak on the first stage of the Falcon 9 rocket, SpaceX and NASA decided to scrub today’s launch. The next opportunity will be on Friday, April 18th at 4:25 P.M. and SpaceX has said they will have the fix implemented by that time. Here’s hoping for no more issues!
UPDATED 5/18/14:Â SpaceX CRS-3 successfully launched at 3:25 P.M. Eastern Time on April 18th. The spacecraft then docked with the International Space Station on April 20th and remained docked there until May 18th. After detaching from the ISS, the craft splashed down in the Pacific Ocean without incident.
UPDATED 9/30/16: Details of the experiment can be found here, on NASA’s website:Â http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/857.html
For more information on the Hughes-Fulford Laboratory and their current projects, along with information on the SpaceX launch, check out the following links:
Hughes-Fulford Laboratory website:Â http://hughesfulfordlab.com/
Hughes-Fulford Laboratory blog:Â http://hughesfulfordlab.blogspot.com/
International Space Station Expedition 38:Â http://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/files/NP-2013-11-028-JSC-Expedition-38-summary.pdf