UK Firm Gets Nearly $400K to Make Medicine in Space

UK-based biotechnology company BiologIC Technologies has received a grant of £300,000 ($390,000) from the UK Space Agency to conduct research on space biomanufacturing. The funding is part of a £33 million grant program aimed at studying the behavior of biological systems in low orbit and space environments. BiologIC Technologies, which specializes in vaccine development and gene therapy techniques, will use the grant to further their research in space biomanufacturing. The company plans to adapt its precision bioprocessing platform modules for microgravity operation in collaboration with the UK Space Agency. The ultimate goal is to develop a sustainable method of manufacturing raw materials in space, which could have long-term benefits for both space exploration and Earth. BiologIC Technologies’ technology will be tested aboard the International Space Station as part of this research.