Why In-Space R&D?

In-space R&D utilises the unique microgravity environment in space to accelerate biotechnology experiments by exploiting the vastly improved protein crystallisation, 3D cell culture, and expedited ageing for applications such as accelerated disease modelling.

Keytruda, a blockbuster with annual revenue of $20 Bn, used space to move from IV to sub-cut. In the absence of gravity, crystals grow more uniform and larger. Gravity is also responsible for convective forces, a type of fluid movement that further disrupts the crystallisation process. Merck used a “Do Not Disturb” sign, seeking to maximise the potential for high-quality crystal growth. Results were applied to the production of crystalline suspensions on Earth, using rotational mixers to reduce sedimentation and temperature gradients to induce and control crystallisation.

Eli Lilly, a mass-producer of penicillin, the polio vaccine, and insulin, which saved millions of lives through research and quality control, continues to break new ground 140 years after its founding. In November 2023, the company successfully launched a space-based research investigation, demonstrating that insulin crystals grown in microgravity are larger and more ordered than those grown on Earth. Building on this success, Lilly researchers will leverage these findings to further explore crystal formation and its impact on drug discovery and development.

Protein crystallisation in microgravity offers benefits such as eliminating sedimentation and convection, which hinder crystal growth on Earth. In microgravity, proteins can form larger, more ordered crystals with improved quality, allowing detailed structural analysis using techniques like X-ray crystallography.

This enhanced crystal quality can provide valuable insights into protein structure-function relationships, aiding drug discovery, and the development of therapeutics targeting various diseases.

Cell culture in space offers unique opportunities for scientific research, particularly in the field of tissue engineering and drug development. Microgravity affects the behaviour of cells and tissues. In space, cells grow in three dimensions rather than the flattened structures typical in traditional 2D cell cultures. This more realistic growth pattern can provide a better understanding of how drugs interact with cells and tissues, potentially leading to more accurate predictions of drug responses in the human body.

Credit: Scott Robinson,

MicroQuin

 Professor Oliver Ullrich and Dr. Cora Thiel from the University of Zurich (UZH) Space Hub sent human stem cells to space to determine if they could develop into 3D organoids. When the samples came back, 100% of sample tubes contained organoids, indicating that stem cells in space could efficiently develop into miniature 3D organoids. The researchers assume production to be easier and more reliable in microgravity than using support structures to grow on Earth. Space could become a workshop for producing miniature human tissue for terrestrial use in research and medicine.

UC San Diego Sanford Stem Cell Institute launched to the ISS in collaboration with Axiom (AX-1) and findings suggested that cancer stem cells regenerate and become more resistant to treatments in low Earth orbit. Advancing upon this, UC launched nanobioreactor experiments to the ISS to explore the potential reversal of this regeneration using inhibitory drugs in a breast cancer organoid model. Researchers found cancer stem cells grow quicker in space, enabling the team to study the process on shorter timescales to determine if there are points where they can intervene and turn off ADAR1.

Astronauts lose bone density at a rate up to 12 times faster than on Earth – closely mimicking osteoporosis. Researchers used this to test a new bone-growth therapy, sending mice to the ISS with a drug based on the NELL-1 protein. While untreated mice lost significant bone mass, treated ones maintained strong, healthy bones.

This rapid success in microgravity has fast-tracked the drug's potential for treating osteoporosis on Earth, turning space science into real-world health solutions.

In the weightlessness of space, bone healing slows dramatically - similar to what’s seen in elderly or osteoporotic patients. To tackle this, scientists tested an innovative “bone glue” called Tetranite™ aboard the ISS. The goal: see if it could support bone cell growth in one of the harshest environments for healing.

Early results showed promise, suggesting the adhesive could help repair fractures with compromised bone regeneration. Insights from this space experiment are now guiding the development of advanced treatments for difficult-to-heal injuries on Earth.

Microgravity offers a distinct lens into the ageing process, with microgravity acting as a powerful accelerator of musculoskeletal decline. In the absence of gravity, astronauts experience rapid bone density loss and muscle atrophy, resembling osteoporosis and sarcopenia, but occurring in weeks instead of years. Space is a "fast-forward" lab to study ageing-related conditions. By observing how bones and muscles respond to unloading in microgravity, researchers can uncover critical biological mechanisms, test new therapies, and develop interventions that will improve bone and muscle health for aging Earth populations.

In 2021, Emulate, Inc. sent their Brain-Chip to the ISS, building on their 2019 Intestine-Chip success, highlighting how microgravity research is revolutionizing human biology and medical innovation. Mimicking the human blood-brain barrier with five brain and vascular cell types, the chip enabled studies on stress, inflammation, and microgravity.

They identified changes in brain cell behaviour, cytokine production, and barrier permeability which could lead to better treatments for neurological disorders and more effective therapies targeting the blood-brain barrier.

In 2023, Stanford University scientists sent cardiac tissue chips to the ISS to tackle one of Earth's biggest killers - heart disease. These tiny, beating heart models were grown from human stem cells and designed to mimic the muscle function of a failing heart. In microgravity, the engineered tissues revealed how weakened heart muscles behave in ways not possible to observe on Earth, including a clearer view of disease progression and drug response, accelerating efforts to screen and refine new cardiovascular therapies. By launching heart tissue into orbit, researchers are bringing new hope to millions on Earth suffering from heart failure.

Organ-on-a-chip technology, when tested in microgravity, accelerates disease modelling and reveals how human tissues respond to drugs in ways Earth-based labs can't replicate. In space, cells behave differently - disease processes speed up, and drug effects become clearer.

For biopharma, this means faster, more accurate testing of new treatments, reduced reliance on animal models, and earlier insights into safety and efficacy. Microgravity is helping bring better therapies to patients, sooner.

Credit: NASA

How? With SpaceLab

SpaceLab

Our primary product offering is SpaceLab; a scalable, modular, autonomous lab-in-a-box capable of industrialising in-orbit manufacturing of high-value bioproducts and hosting biopharma R&D.

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Overview of a previously-tested SpaceLab configuration

We have an in-depth understanding of the constraints which are associated with the operation and storage of biological samples. Our advanced environmental control system maintains the integrity of your samples and ensures robust and reliable results. We’ve streamlined our pre-flight and post-flight recovery operations, including data and experiment retrieval, keeping integration and separation times to a minimum, enabling us to fly a wider range of biological experiments.

Our technology development is driven by keeping our services affordable and building flexibility into each mission. One of the biggest barriers to space is cost, which is why we manufacture our innovative Multi Chamber Sample Disc in-house. The disc enable us to house 4x as many samples in the same formfactor compared to our closest competitors. This is also one of the key reasons why we were able to shrink our platform from a traditional microwave-sized systems to a shoe-box, and since cost in space is heavily tied to mass, keep our prices low.

Our sensor suite equips you with comprehensive sample and environmental monitoring capabilities, resulting in accurate data collection and analysis. As an example, our fluorescence microscopy and spectrometry sensors allows the user to observe and analyse intricate 3D features in near-real time, providing unprecedented insights into your experiments.

Manufacturing the sample disc in-house allows for rapid customisation for every mission. Samples can be independently manipulated, allowing for multiple experiments to be performed simultaneously. Our microfluidics systems enables precise control over reaction conditions and working at a micron-level accommodates a higher sample density. Autonomous operations keep ground operation costs low and minimised user efforts. All these factors, in addition to the experience of our team and key strategic partnerships with launch providers, allow us to incorporate your specific needs into the mission design.

The sample disc, mentioned in the Novel Technologies section, is the only component which changes mission-to-mission. The rest of the platform, built to CubeSat specifications, is highly modular and scalable, and is designed to interface with numerous launchers and recoverable vehicles. We have strategic partnerships with these organisations, such as the Exploration Company and Sierra Space, to increase the cadence of our missions, drastically reducing the time from initial conversations to launch, and to offer different services at varying price-points to accommodate a wide range of clients.

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