Space-Based Drug Manufacture Can Take Years Out Of The Process

Once out of earth, molecules do miraculous things. Disease-causing proteins crystallize so well; they grow larger and clearer. Hence, finding a drug to stop the protein's damaging activities could happen months, if not years, faster.

Though scientists have known for decades that some science works better in space, it obviously has not been easy to get experiments up there. Now, with NASA planning to reduce its $2.6 billion annual investment beginning in 2015, the agency is throwing the space station open for private enterprise.

One of Texas’ financial scion and multimillionaire Thomas Pickens III of Big Pharma, is poised to transform space science with an injection of capitalism. "If people knew what I already know, the International Space Station would be considered one of the most valuable resources our world possesses," Pickens was quoted at the ISS National Laboratory Workshop last week. "There are things you can only do in microgravity that will eventually lead to products that could save millions of lives."

Pickens is chairman of the board of Spacehab, a company that provides equipment and services for scientists who want to send experiments into space.

Scientists have launched all kinds of things into space with unique results. One 2000 experiment found that 1,600 kidney-cell genes were expressed differently in space than on the ground. Another found colon-cancer cells showed unique metabolic changes in microgravity. But with so many possible avenues of discovery, it has been difficult for scientists to make much progress, given how limited time in space has been.