Dwayne Brown
Headquarters, Washington                    Nov. 21, 2001
(Phone:  202/358-1712)

RELEASE:  01-230

JOINT NASA/NCI RESEARCH TO DEVELOP SENSORS
FOR HEALTH MONITORING INSIDE THE HUMAN BODY

     NASA has selected seven researchers to receive grants
totaling approximately $11 million over three years to develop
new biomedical technologies to detect, diagnose and treat
disease inside the human body.

The selected proposals will develop and study nanoscale (one-
billionth of a meter) biomedical sensors that can detect
changes at the cellular and molecular level and communicate
irregularities to a device outside the body.

Such technological advances will enable NASA to monitor and
treat the health of astronauts in space and -- on Earth --
provide the National Cancer Institute (NCI) with new
technologies to identify and treat specific types of cancer at
their earliest stages.

Sponsored by NASA's Office of Biological and Physical Research
in collaboration with NCI, this research program offers
scientists the opportunity to collaborate on the development
of minimally invasive microscopic sensors that will advance
and support health monitoring and patient care.

NASA and NCI received 53 proposals in response to their
solicitation. These proposals were all peer-reviewed at NCI 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:
http://www.***.com/

More detailed information about the NASA/NCI research program
is available at:
http://www.***.com/

                             -end-