Gum disease comparison with a healthy tooth and an unhealthy one with periodontitis and poor oral hygiene health problem as a bacteria infection diagram concept with inflammation as a 3D illustration.

Colgate-Palmolive Will Travel to the International Space Station

Colgate-Palmolive will send an oral care experiment to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard SpaceX’s 22nd commercial resupply services mission scheduled to launch from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

By The Editors On Jun 3, 2021 0

“We constantly strive to push the limits of research and development—and now we’re pushing even further, into space. Our unique partnership with ISS National Lab and the University of Nevada–Las Vegas will help us go beyond what’s expected, beyond what’s known, and even beyond our planet to test and accelerate the science of oral health,” says Pat Verduin, chief technology officer at Colgate-Palmolive in a prepared statement.

The experiment is designed to learn more about the growth and metabolism of oral biofilms in a microgravity environment. According to the company, the crew aboard ISS will use microfluidic devices to stimulate bacterial growth on a tooth-like surface. The devices will return to Earth aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft after being exposed to microgravity for one month.

Once back on Earth, the devices—designed by researchers at the College of Engineering at the University of Nevada–Las Vegas, and Colgate—will be analyzed. The results will be compared to matching control experiments conducted on the ground.