Auxilium Microfabrication Platform Cartridge Modification

In November 2024, the Auxilium Microfabrication Platform (AMP-1) was installed on the International Space Station (ISS) and successfully printed clinical-grade implantable medical devices for peripheral nerve injuries. The AMP-1 overcomes the limitations of conventional bioprinting technologies. It offers fast print speeds (up to 1 mm/min), high resolution (1–5 micron pixel size), a fully enclosed sterile print chamber, and the ability to print a wide range of materials for various biological applications. Our technical objectives for the proposed project are to modify the AMP-1 bioprinter cartridge to accommodate cell-printing in a microgravity environment (aboard the ISS). The cartridge has demonstrated its ability to print biocompatible materials and we propose design refinements that will enable the inclusion of cells within the cartridge, while still keeping astronaut involvement at minimum. Specifically, we plan to enhance the existing cartridge by adding fluid inlet and outlet ports to the exterior of the cartridge that connect to the interior of the print chamber via standard fluidic connections and tubing. The exterior ports will be Luer lock connections, allowing the astronaut to connect a syringe and inject a cell/biomaterial bioink directly into the cartridge without opening it. The proposed project aims to modify the design of the AMP-1 bioprinter cartridge to allow stem cells cultured in space to be loaded directly for in-space printing, rather than being pre-loaded on Earth and launched as part of the payload. The global organ transplantation market was estimated at approximately $8.9 billion in 2022 and projected to reach $17.2 billion by 2030. The significance of this project lies in the capability to enable precise 3D-printing of cells in specific locations using our established AMP-1 facility aboard the International Space Station. Our approach will optimize the manufacturing process of functional organs, aiming to improve patients' lives.

Our technology will enable high throughput manufacturing of clinical-grade implantable medical devices and living tissues in microgravity. These devices and tissues cannot be made on Earth with the same quality as they can in space. In one application, these tissues and devices can be returned to Earth to address critical medical burdens, thereby addressing large unmet market needs. In another application, the capability to print devices and tissues on demand is an invaluable asset to in-space operations. This capability will significantly benefit research opportunities on the ISS, capability offerings on CLDs, and support future missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. As has been demonstrated in our first mission to the ISS, our bioprinting capability can mass-produce clinical grade medical devices for peripheral nerve injury. Our work toward incorporating drug release capabilities is already underway through that existing project, and has the potential to address the millions of Americans who are afflicted with peripheral nerve injuries. By advancing our state-of-the-art platform to enable cell printing, we can expand our total addressable market to include tissues for in-vitro drug screening, which has a market size exceeding $7 Billion, clinical implantation of therapeutic tissues, which is estimated to currently have a market size of about $1 Billion, and allows us significant progress towards whole-organ engineering, which has an addressable market exceeding $8 Billion.

This is a mature technology (TRL 7+) — the realistic path in is usually NASA's Technology Transfer Program: licensing an existing NASA patent, or a Space Act Agreement to use NASA facilities/expertise directly. NASA also runs a startup licensing program with no upfront fee for companies formed to commercialize a specific NASA technology.

None of these are guaranteed paths for this specific project — TechPort itself doesn't have an "apply" button. Reaching out to the contact(s) above with a specific question is usually the fastest way to find out what's actually open.