Space-trekking muscle tests drugs for microgravity-induced muscle impairment

A gentle rumble ran under a researcher’s feet as a rocket carrying her research — live, human muscle cells grown on scaffolds fixed on tiny chips — lifted off, climbed, and disappeared into the sky to the International Space Station National Laboratory. These chips would help her better understand muscle impairment, often seen in astronauts and older adults, and test drugs to counter the condition.