Ask The Expert about Space BioTech with ATMOS Space Cargo and Yuri
Space biotechnology is the application of biotechnology principles and techniques to study and manipulate biological systems in the unique environment of space. It involves using living organisms, such as bacteria, plants, and even humans, in space exploration and research to better understand how life functions in microgravity and other space conditions.
Yuri and ATMOS Space Cargo, both APEX Ventures’ portfolio companies, have been making headlines in this space.
Yuri is a space biotech company that uses the microgravity environment of space to develop and manufacture superior biotech products. Since 2022 it has been developing its own pipeline of superior biotech products that are either triggered by or manufactured in microgravity. This involves identifying novel space bacteria strains specific for biomanufacturing, as well as triggering natural adaptation in the space environment to generate non-GMO microbes with adjusted characteristics.
ATMOS Space Cargo specializes in the development and manufacturing of technology to return cargo of any size from space, from microgravity experiments, and commercial products to entire rocket stages. Its Phoenix capsules represent the first sustainable solution for a large range of experiments designed to offer microgravity on-demand ranging from three hours to three months in orbit. These capsules open up unprecedented opportunities for a wide array of applications, including biomedical and material sciences research, In-Orbit Demonstration and Verification (IOD/IOV), and the manufacturing of products in space.
Sebastian Klaus, CEO of ATMOS Space Cargo, and Mark Kugel, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Yuri offered insights into what’s new in this area.
1. Why do we want to test stem cultures under microgravity in space?
Sebastian Klaus (SK): There are two main reasons why our customers want to do this in space: Microgravity and the cosmic radiation environment.
Microgravity enables the growth of 3-dimensional, uniform cell cultures, which would on Earth be “flattened” by gravity. 3-dimensional cell cultures resemble actual human organs better than “flat”, 2-dimensional cell cultures, allowing better and faster research for example for the discovery of new drugs.
The cosmic radiation environment creates stress on the cell cultures. This leads to accelerated ageing of cells, which in turn helps researchers better understand the ageing process in humans. It also leads to adaptation on the cells, which can create new microorganisms with unique properties, that would not exist on Earth.
Mark Kugel (MK): Studying stem cell cultures under microgravity in space offers unique insights into how biology functions. Microgravity impacts growth, differentiation, and gene expression, clearly detailing the role of gravity in cellular processes. This research informs regenerative medicine, cancer understanding, and therapies, as well as bone/muscle loss prevention. Additionally, it contributes to aging research, drug development, and basic biology insights. The findings have the potential to significantly transform biotechnology and industry applications. This could lead to advancing the production and manipulation of stem cells on a larger scale for therapeutic purposes.
2. What is the role of space return services for life sciences?
SK: The International Space Station has been in orbit for 20 years, and in that time, more than 2,000 experiments in life sciences were conducted. Being able to return samples from space to laboratories on Earth is crucial. In the past, the Space Shuttle was able to bring down significant cargo from the ISS, but it is not flying anymore. Using the Russian Soyuz for return is not an option, given the Russian war in Ukraine. This leaves the SpaceX Dragon a monopoly as the only return option, leading to high prices, long lead times and little to no individual options for life sciences.
Many of the life sciences projects we see in space would need the option to return precisely after a given period of time, for example, when a cell culture has grown to a specific size after a precise number of days. And often, repetitive trips to space are needed to conduct a specific study. Enabling a return service that is individual, affordable, regular and reliable is our goal.
MK: Space return services facilitate the safe retrieval of biological samples like cells, tissues, and organisms from space back to Earth. These services enable researchers to compare data collected in space with terrestrial conditions, validating the effects of microgravity on biological systems. The ability to cross-validate results across different experiments and missions enhances our understanding of molecular and physiological changes induced by space.
Space return services facilitate iterative research and in-depth analysis through the utilization of advanced laboratory tools. This empowers scientists to enhance their experimental designs using past insights, leading to accelerated discoveries in the field of life sciences.
3. What does your offering mean for the evolution of biotechnology? Give us some insights into projects you have in the pipeline and what they do to shape the future of space biotech.
SK: The projects that excite me the most are the ones which have direct benefits for people on Earth. For example, growing organoids, that means mini-organs made from heart, brain, liver or kidney cells. Organoids can be used to test drugs on them, leading to faster developments of new treatments, and less animal testing required. In the long run, this could lead to 3D-bioprinting of complete organs in space. Every year, hundreds of thousands of lives could be saved with these organs — printed from the patient’s own cells, so that the body accepts the new organ without immunosuppressive drugs.
A project we have in the pipeline right now is Eva, the end-to-end microgravity service with Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA) and Yuri starting in 2025. RFA will provide the launch, Atmos will provide the return, and Yuri will provide the ScienceTaxi — a completely automated biolaboratory in space, controlled from Earth. I can’t wait to see it fly!
MK: Yuri has been one of the major players in sending and returning biological samples from space using our modular and configurable hardware. We have helped pharma companies and leading researchers across major universities to conduct biotech research spanning from protein crystallization to cell culture analysis under microgravity conditions. All this has been done at almost a 10x reduction in cost and time. Using this as an unfair advantage, Yuri has started to develop its own synthetic biology (synbio) platform, enabling:
i. Identification of new bacterial strains possessing specific properties for biomanufacturing.
ii. Natural adaptation triggering in microbes within the space environment, without resorting to genetic modification.
Microorganisms subjected to space-induced mutations have demonstrated yield increases of up to 200% or more in diverse applications, spanning from antibiotics to industrial enzymes. While outcomes vary based on strains, overall, microorganism mutagenesis in space has displayed substantial yield improvements. To date, we’ve amassed over 8,000 extremophiles from two space launches and are sequencing them to uncover novel proteins and metabolites. Furthermore, early discussions are underway with select clients to conduct adaptive laboratory evolution experiments, aiming to enhance the yield of their microbial strains.
Companies like Yuri and ATMOS Space Cargo are exploring a new frontier in biotechnology. These ventures aren’t just about space — they have the potential to transform biotechnology and industry as a whole.
Their projects, such as Eva, represent remarkable steps toward shaping a brighter future for space biotech and improving life for all of humanity.
Stay tuned for further updates on quantum technologies in future blog posts!
