BiologIC Technologies will be able to evaluate its biomanufacturing systems on the International Space Station with the assistance of the £300,000 grant.
The UK Space Agency has awarded BiologIC Technologies a portion of a £33 million grant program to investigate the behavior of biological systems in low orbit and space environments. The biotechnology company made the announcement on Monday.
The grant of £300,000, which is equivalent to approximately $390,000, will be allocated to additional research on space biomanufacturing. The company, BiologIC Technologies, is involved in the development of gene therapy techniques and vaccines, among other areas.
“Space biomanufacturing has become a strategic imperative for biopharmaceutical companies that are deriving novel therapeutic value from microgravity environments and for nations that require the sustainable operation of human activities in deep space,” the company stated.
The term “biomanufacturing” indicates the development of products that incorporate biological systems, including microorganisms, animal cells, and plant cells.
BiologIC Technologies posted on Twitter, “Deep space—the ultimate challenge for distributed biomanufacturing.” “We are enthusiastic about the prospect of collaborating with the UK Space Agency to modify our precision bioprocessing platform modules for semi-autonomous microgravity operation.”
The UK Space Agency is investing up to £65 million ($84 million) in initiatives designed by British businesses that develop new space technologies and services through its National Space Innovation Programme.
Richard Vellacott, CEO of BiologIC Technologies, stated to the BBC, “It is extremely challenging to investigate the consequences of aging on Earth due to the lengthy process. However, in space, our cells age at a quicker pace. It is possible to speed up the development of novel treatments by conducting this type of research in the upper atmosphere.”
The BBC stated that the company’s technology will undergo testing on the International Space Station. “If we are able to produce basic materials in space, we will begin to do so on Earth,” Vellacott stated to the broadcaster. “At present, we import the resources we lack from other regions, a practice that is not sustainable in the long term.” Decrypt did not receive a prompt response to a request for comment from BiologIC Technologies.
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