U of L professors Michael Menze and Jonathan Kopechek, as well as Ph.D. candidate Brett Janis, have spent two years developing this "freeze-dried" approach to storing blood, which has drawn interest from the U.S. military, NASA, emergency responders and other groups.

Blood can typically be stored for only six weeks after donation, but a potential solution attempts to dry blood by using a sugar-based preservative. 

A team tested the ability to rehydrate the blood and use 3D-printed tools in zero gravity. This could help meet the medical needs of astronauts in space.