The overwhelming influence of gravity on any process on Earth makes microgravity a subject of the highest interest in many topics. By reducing the effect of gravity it is possible to investigate other parameters or processes that are difficult to study in the presence of gravity.
Examples of topics that benefit greatly from research in microgravity include:
- Fluid physics: dynamics, change of phase, films, interfaces, bubbles and droplets, etc.
- Chemistry and biochemistry: proteins, chemical patterns, etc.
- Biology: organic compounds, seeds, bioprocessing, etc.
- Medicine (under certain conditions): physiology of the vestibular, respiratory and cardiopulmonary systems, possibilities of diagnostic telemedicine in space, etc.
- Material sciences: alloys, foams, granular systems and porous media, composites, etc.
- Heat transfer: evaporation, condensation, convection, conduction, etc.
- Astrophysics: cosmic dust, plasmas, planet formation, etc.
source: https://www.esa.int/Education/Fly_Your_Thesis/Microgravity_research_for_students