▁a ▁patient ' s ▁own ▁cancer ▁cells ▁outside ▁the ▁patient ' s ▁body . ▁There ▁are ▁similar ▁possibilities ▁for ▁A ID S ▁research : ▁the ▁R CC S ▁can ▁produce ▁human ▁H IV ▁host ▁cells ▁that ▁can ▁be ▁inf ected ▁and ▁studied . ▁ ▁Today , ▁leading ▁research ▁facilities ▁across ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁are ▁employ ing ▁the ▁R CC S ▁to ▁study ▁cancer , ▁c yst ic ▁fib ros is ▁and ▁inf ect ious ▁dise ases ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁av ian ▁flu , ▁E bol a ▁virus ▁and ▁mon key ▁po x . ▁They ' re ▁also ▁using ▁the ▁R CC S ▁to ▁provide ▁t issues ▁for ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁H IV ▁v acc ines ▁and ▁other ▁dru gs . ▁ ▁A ▁closed ▁tub ular ▁cyl inder ▁forms ▁the ▁system ' s ▁cell ▁culture ▁chamber , ▁which ▁is ▁filled ▁with ▁a ▁liquid ▁medium ▁in ▁which ▁cells ▁grow ▁on ▁mic rom et re - size ▁be ads . ▁The ▁chamber ▁rot ates ▁around ▁a ▁horizontal ▁axis , ▁allowing ▁the ▁cells ▁to ▁develop ▁in ▁an ▁environment ▁similar ▁to ▁the ▁free - fall ▁of ▁micro gravity . ▁O xygen , ▁required ▁by ▁cells ▁for ▁growth , ▁is ▁fed ▁into ▁the ▁liquid ▁medium ▁through ▁a ▁por ous ▁wall ▁in ▁the ▁chamber . ▁ ▁The ▁NASA ▁research ers ▁who ▁led ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁the ▁cell ▁culture ▁bi ore actor ▁were ▁named ▁co - reci p ients ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 1 ▁NASA ▁In vent or ▁of ▁the ▁Year ▁Award ▁because ▁of ▁their ▁work ▁on ▁the ▁project