NANORACKS-TERPENE EXTRACTION IN MICROGRAVITY (NANORACKS-TERPENE)
Research Area: Plant Biology
Expedition(s): 29 and 30
Principal Investigator(s): ● Bill Lumsden, PhD, Ardbeg, Scotland, United Kingdom
RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
NanoRacks-Terpene Extraction in Microgravity (NanoRacks-Terpene) is an investigation
sponsored by a commercial organization with the hope of finding new chemical building blocks
for their products through microgravity extraction of the terpenes from wood samples.
EARTH BENEFITS
The company undertaking the research
belongs to a multi-billion dollar consumer
company that produces dozens of new
products that contain terpenes and other
compounds each year. These include
beverages, perfumes, and cosmetics.
Synthetic variations of terpenes and
terpenoids also greatly expand the variety
of flavors used in food additives. Another
application is that the ingredients of
terpenes have been shown to serve as
natural agricultural pesticides. Hence, the
understanding of terpenes extracted
without gravity may well produce new
understandings of a wide range of new
products and processes. This is expected
to be the first of several phases of
research, all sponsored by the company.SPACE BENEFITS
One of the key questions for space station utilization remains a) whether the unique
environment of space can capture the interest of mainstream consumer companies; and b)
whether by fostering greater understanding of complex molecules, researchers can shed light
on the impact of gravity on basic materials.
RESULTS
Results are pending further analysis.
This investigation is complete; however additional results are pending publication.
NanoRacks-Terpene Extraction in Microgravity MixStix
contain a dry wood sample and a 50/50 mixture of water and
ethanol. Image courtesy of NanoRacks, LLC.