Biotechnology Opportunities in Space
Low Earth orbit presents a unique opportunity for biomanufacturing, health studies, and stem cell research
Beyond the atmosphere
We are all children of the earth, but some of us long for the stars.
As a species, we are relatively young, and, as we all know, it’s not easy to escape the environment that has shaped us. Human beings are bound to earth; our bodies are adapted to its gravity, atmosphere, and so on.
And yet, for some reason, we can’t help but look beyond that, at the pin-pricked sky above. We’ve even taken our first baby steps into that great beyond. Boots on moon ground, helicopters on Mars, robotic probes that visit our celestial neighbors…
But for ourselves to step away from the earthly cradle and into the wider universe, that remains very challenging.
Our bodies — the cardiovascular system, for example — prefer a specific amount of gravity. Of course, someday we might use CRISPR gene-editing to ‘build’ better astronauts or enhance humans to become true Martians. The human body is only a small part of the problem, though. Bacteria might become superbugs in spaceships or stations, and we’ll have to think about nourishment too.
