At the University of Florida’s inaugural Biomanufacturing in Space Symposium, scientists and space-industry experts convened to review a pivotal decade of space research and chart the course for the future of space industries. The Sept. 19 symposium at Malachowsky Hall spotlighted the growing opportunities in biomanufacturing in space, as commercialization pushes space exploration into a new era.
With space no longer just a realm of discovery, the symposium highlighted its growing potential for industry and innovation. From biotech to pharmaceuticals, the commercialization of space is on the horizon, turning what once seemed like science fiction into an exciting, practical reality for the next generation of researchers and entrepreneurs.
“Biomanufacturing in space is not a traditional term, but we are in an untraditional time,” said Siobhan Malany, Ph.D., an associate professor in the UF College of Pharmacy and director of the UF In-Space Biomanufacturing for Human Health Innovation Hub, which hosted the symposium. “We are entering an era of commercial space spearheaded by private industry and there is incredible interest in creating manufactured biological materials.”
Malany opened the symposium by sharing her research on developing new therapeutics in space. Her first foray into space featured a skeletal muscle “lab on a chip” system, which launched to the International Space Station in 2018. Since then, she has conducted experiments on three SpaceX resupply missions, using an automated system to study muscle physiology at the human tissue level. These “tissue chips,” which mimic real tissue in three dimensions, aim to reduce the need for animal studies and better model diseases like sarcopenia, an age-related muscle disorder with no federally approved treatments.
Jana Stoudemire, an innovation strategist helping to create new market sectors in the commercial space economy in low-Earth orbit, then delivered the keynote address. She provided a snapshot of what’s happened in space over the past two decades on board the International Space Station and offered predictions on where we are going in the next decade. With commercial providers looking to build their own space stations in low-Earth orbit, Stoudemire said there is a need to create sustainable solutions to support life above the Earth.
“When we think about getting to space, we need to think about the ‘make it don’t take it mentality’ because it is going to be difficult to take everything with us,” said Stoudemire. “People are working on a variety of sustainable options, with food being one of them.”
The biomanufacturing sector in space spans a range of industries, from agriculture and pharmaceuticals to advanced technologies like 3D printing. With the International Space Station set to retire in 2030, commercial providers will take the lead in driving space research and expanding the space economy. One pressing challenge is preparing a future workforce that is equipped to support biomanufacturing efforts in space.
“Any job you have here on Earth, you can have in space,” Stoudemire told the audience of more than 75 faculty, staff, and students attending the symposium. “We need the biomanufacturing and pharmaceutical industries to transition into space. The definition of ‘global’ now extends about 250 miles above Earth.” The Biomanufacturing in Space Symposium included a panel with experts from the ISS National Laboratory, Sierra Space, and Kennedy Space Center. They discussed topics such as NASA’s return to the moon, deep space travel logistics, and the development of space planes for transporting people and cargo to low-Earth orbit. The panelists stressed that space is inherently multidisciplinary, and collaboration will be essential for advancing the biomanufacturing sector in space.
September 19
Biomanufacturing in Space Symposium
