Photo courtesy of NASA
Hurtling through space miles above the earth is the Human Research Facility (HRF) aboard the Destiny Laboratory on the International Space Station (ISS). The Destiny Laboratory is the nation’s only national laboratory on-orbit.
The Human Research Facilities (1 and 2) provide opportunities for researchers to conduct both Biological and Human Physiology and Adaptation Research. Within the Human Research Facilities, long-term studies and experiments help to understand biological processes, protect biological systems and engineer more efficient and effective means of cultivating biological products. The ISS is outfitted with all the instrumentation and tools needed to conduct modern biological investigations.
The Human Research Facility -2 (HRF-2) provides an on-orbit laboratory that enables human life science researchers to study and evaluate the physiological, behavioral, and chemical changes induced by space flight. Research performed using HRF-2 provides data to help scientists understand how the human body adapts to long-duration space flight (www.NASA.gov).
The Human Research Facility is located within the Columbus Module of the Space Station. HRF-2 is currently making use of centrifuge technology from Hettich as part of its ongoing effort to improve medical research and technology for the future of human life. Within the Human Research Facility, the centrifuge is mounted on the EXPRESS rack (EXpedite the PRocessing of Experiments to Space Station).
The Refrigerated Centrifuge (RC) separates biological substances of various densities by spinning at a high rate of speed. The RC can hold samples between 0.5 and 50 ml in size. The RPMs are programmable in both speed and time, ensuring the proper centrifugal force is used for each application. Currently all samples are centrifuged at ambient temperature.
Inclusion on the Human Research Facility is an attainment that directly relates to where Hettich products reside on a daily basis. Hettich centrifuges are found within hospitals, clinical and research laboratories all around the globe, and beyond. They are contributing to the science and research that will improve our way of life.
To learn more about Hettich Centrifuges available for your clinical laboratory applications, download our Centrifuge Product Guide.
