NASA has selected 43 researchers to receive grants totaling approximately $27 million over four years to conduct biotechnology research on Earth and in space. This research will create knowledge in important areas of biotechnology such as tissue engineering, gene expression and biosensor technology.

Sponsored by NASA's Office of Biological and Physical Research, this research offers investigators the opportunity to take advantage of the low-gravity environment of space and develop experiments for the International Space Station.

Twenty-three of the selected proposals are to conduct research in cellular biotechnology including projects on tissue engineering, gene expression and bioanalytical technologies. Twenty of the selected proposals are to conduct research in macromolecular biotechnology including projects on challenging problems in structural biology, artificial biomembranes and membrane proteins. Fourteen of the selected proposals are for the continuation of work currently being funded by NASA, but the majority (29) represent new research efforts.

NASA received 225 proposals in response to its research announcement in this research area. These proposals were all peer- reviewed by scientific and technical experts from academia, government and industry.

A list of the selected principal investigators, institutions, and research titles (by state) can be found on the Internet at: ftp://ftp.hq.nasa.gov/pub/pao/pressrel/2001/01-126a.txt