Wyss Institute
Harvard bioengineering institute that developed the organ-on-chip technology aboard Orion.
Last refreshed: 2 April 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
How do organ-on-a-chip devices work aboard a spacecraft?
Latest on Wyss Institute
- What is the Wyss Institute?
- A Harvard bioengineering institute founded in 2009 that pioneered organ-on-chip technology, mimicking human tissue in microfluidic devices.Source: Wyss Institute overview
- What organ-on-chip technology is on Artemis II?
- Wyss-developed microfluidic chips containing cells grown from each crew member's own bone marrow, flying as the AVATAR Experiment.Source: NASA AVATAR experiment overview
- Why send organ chips to the Moon?
- Deep-space radiation at lunar distance is far more intense than at the ISS; only a lunar mission can provide the exposure levels needed to study the full effect on human cells.Source: NASA AVATAR experiment overview
- Who is Hansjörg Wyss?
- A Swiss billionaire who funded Harvard's Wyss Institute in 2009; his gift established the institution that developed the organ-chip technology flying on Artemis II.Source: Wyss Institute founding history
- What applications does organ-on-chip technology have beyond space?
- The same platform is used in terrestrial drug development and personalised medicine research, potentially replacing some animal testing.Source: Wyss Institute research overview
Background
The Wyss Institute developed the organ-on-chip platform used in the AVATAR Experiment, which flies microfluidic devices containing cells from each Artemis II crew member's own bone marrow in deep space.
The Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University was founded in 2009 with a gift from Swiss billionaire Hansjörg Wyss. It pioneered the organ-on-chip concept: microfluidic devices that mimic the mechanical and biochemical environment of human tissue, enabling drug testing and disease modelling outside the body.
The Artemis II flight is the first time Wyss organ chips have operated beyond low Earth orbit. The deep-space radiation environment at lunar distance is significantly more intense than at the International Space Station, providing data on radiation effects that is impossible to replicate in terrestrial labs or in LEO.