--- title: "SpaceX Delivers Brain-Cultivation and Artificial Retina Printing Equipment to the ISS" description: "SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft docked with the ISS as part of NASA's 35th commercial resupply mission, delivering equipment for growing brain organoids, printing artificial retinas, and protecting the crew from infections." date: 2026-10-19T16:24:02.442Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/spacex-iss-biotechnology-brain-retina tags: [spacex, iss, biotechnology, nasa, space-research] author: "Alexander Buran" publisher: "XAB.info" --- # SpaceX Delivers Brain-Cultivation and Artificial Retina Printing Equipment to the ISS ![SpaceX Dragon spacecraft docking with the International Space Station above Earth](https://xab.info/media/2026/10/19/spacex-mks-biotekhnologii-mozg-setchatka/spacex-mks-biotekhnologii-mozg-setchatka-1.webp) ## Key Points - Dragon docked with the ISS as part of NASA's 35th commercial resupply mission. - The miBrains, AVATAR-ORg1, and MINDS projects for studying brain organoids in microgravity were delivered to the station. - The LambdaVision-1 experiment aims to print artificial retinas from the bacteriorhodopsin protein, where weightlessness eliminates gravitational distortions of the layers. - The ELISA MABL system and the GEARS experiment are aimed at monitoring crew health and protection against antibiotic-resistant bacteria. SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft has successfully docked with the International Space Station as part of NASA's 35th commercial resupply mission. A complex of biotechnology equipment designed for brain and heart research, artificial retina printing, and protecting astronauts from dangerous infections has been delivered into orbit. This is reported by RBC-Ukraine with reference to Discover Magazine. The docking was routine, and the new experimental installations are already ready for launch aboard the station. ### Brain Organoids in Zero Gravity The central place in this cargo batch is occupied by experiments on growing laboratory models of the human brain under the general name miBrains. In particular, the AVATAR-ORg1 project will track changes in brain tissue models under microgravity conditions for five weeks, comparing them with control samples simultaneously grown on Earth. The data obtained will help determine whether brain tissues can be grown and studied directly in space, with the prospect of using such models to protect astronauts' health during long-term missions. ### Inflammation, Neurodegeneration, and the Heart Another experiment, MINDS, focuses on the connection between inflammatory processes and neurodegenerative diseases. Scientists are working with organoids created from cells of multiple people, which makes it possible to account for individual differences. The results could become the basis for developing new treatments for Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and multiple sclerosis. A separate project, Stellar Spheroids, studies the impact of weightlessness on three-dimensional models of the human heart, which are used to test a new medicinal drug. ### Artificial Retina Without Gravitational Distortions An important biotechnological experiment is the LambdaVision-1 installation, aimed at creating an artificial retina to restore vision in people with degenerative eye diseases. The prosthesis is formed using the light-sensitive protein bacteriorhodopsin. The research was moved to orbit because on Earth, gravity deforms hundreds of thin layers of this protein and makes them unstable. Researchers expect that the absence of gravity on the ISS will allow the formation of smoother and more stable layers, which will increase the efficiency of the artificial retina. ### Protecting the Crew from Superbugs To preserve the health of the crew itself, the ELISA MABL system was delivered to the station — a compact device for measuring the levels of proteins, antibodies, and antigens in biological samples. It will allow astronauts to perform analyses directly in orbit, including tracking bone loss in microgravity conditions. In addition, the GEARS experiment is dedicated to studying antibiotic-resistant bacteria Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium, previously discovered on board the ISS. The results will help understand how "superbugs" develop in a confined space and protect the crew from potential infections. ## Fact-Check & Sources - [На МКС выращивают человеческий мозг: SpaceX доставила новые биотехнологии NASA](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/mks-viroshchuyut-lyudskiy-mozok-spacex-dostavila-1792417070.html) - Source foundation: Dragon docking, 35th commercial mission, miBrains, AVATAR-ORg1, MINDS, Stellar Spheroids, LambdaVision-1, ELISA MABL, GEARS projects. Confirmed via a single chain (RBC-Ukraine → Discover Magazine). - [SpaceX доставила четырех космонавтов на МКС всего через 15 часов после старта](https://ru.euronews.com/2025/08/02/spacex-docking-crew) - Подтверждено по источнику ru.euronews.com - [Bloomberg: компания SpaceX доставила астронавтов на МКС всего за 15 часов](https://overclockers.ru/blog/vokrugsveta/show/235189/Bloomberg-kompaniya-SpaceX-dostavila-astronavtov-na-MKS-vsego-za-15-chasov) - Подтверждено по источнику overclockers.ru - [Ракета Crew Dragon компании SpaceX доставила экипаж на МКС](https://www.dw.com/ru/raketa-crew-dragon-kompanii-spacex-dostavila-na-mks-novyj-ekipaz/a-79517463) - Context: confirms active crewed SpaceX flights to the ISS (October 2, 2026), but does not apply to this cargo flight and the list of biotechnological cargo. ## FAQ ### Which resupply mission is this? According to RBC-Ukraine citing Discover Magazine, this is NASA's 35th commercial resupply mission carried out by SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft. ### Why are the retina experiments moved to space? Because on Earth, gravity deforms hundreds of thin layers of the bacteriorhodopsin protein and makes them unstable, whereas in the weightlessness of the ISS, the layers form smoother and more stable. ### What does the ELISA MABL system do on the station? It is a compact device for measuring protein, antibody, and antigen levels in biological samples, allowing astronauts to conduct analyses in orbit, including monitoring bone loss.