Biotech Company from California Seeks to
Advance Technology that Synthesizes Pure Proteins from DNA in
Microgravity Through the International Space Station National
Laboratory
BOSTON, Feb. 17,
2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Machine Bio, Inc., a
biotechnology startup from Claremont,
CA, has been selected to receive up to $500,000 in grant funding through the Technology
in Space Prize in partnership with the MassChallenge startup
accelerator program. The Technology in Space Prize is an annual
award opportunity from the Center for the Advancement of Science in
Space, Inc. (CASIS) and Boeing [NYSE: BA] for qualified startup
companies interested in leveraging the International Space Station
(ISS) National Laboratory for research and technology development
(R&D). Machine Bio seeks to validate proprietary technology for
the synthesis of protein from a DNA template in a single step
onboard the space station. The project was announced last night at
the MassChallenge awards dinner in Boston.
The ISS and future space-based laboratories provide a valuable
platform for drug discovery and development research and
use-inspired science. However, methods for the production of pure
proteins needed for drug discovery research require the cultivation
of large volumes of cells and time-consuming purification steps
that are slow and labor intensive. These methods are inefficient on
Earth and infeasible for a space-based laboratory, so currently,
proteins are produced on Earth and then launched to space. This
makes it difficult to do iterative research, which is crucial to
the drug development process.
Machine Bio has designed a cell-free technology that promises to
cut the cost and production time for the synthesis of pure
proteins. The company's technology produces protein faster than
traditional methods, using less labor and less space. Machine Bio
seeks to utilize the ISS National Lab to validate the technology's
function in microgravity. In doing so, this may allow the company
to advance its technology readiness level, bringing it closer to
commercialization. The ability to quickly manufacture pure protein
in space would be a significant advancement for biomedical research
in low Earth orbit and will be crucial for studies on future
spaceflight missions farther from Earth.
In-space production applications is a strategic focus area for
the ISS National Lab. Applied research and development in this area
demonstrates space-based manufacturing and production to enable new
business growth and capital investment and to create scalable and
sustainable market opportunities.
This marks the eighth time CASIS and Boeing have partnered to
fund research for startups through the Technology in Space Prize in
collaboration with the MassChallenge startup accelerator. Since its
inception, the Technology in Space Prize has provided $9.7 million in funding to 30 startups for
R&D sponsored by the ISS National Lab. Many of these
investigations have already launched to station.
For example, biotechnology startup MicroQuin, a 2018 awardee of
the Technology in Space Prize, launched an investigation to
better understand the onset and progression of cancer. The project
used 3D cell culture to examine cell signaling pathways involved in
tumorigenesis (the process by which normal cells transform into
cancer cells). MicroQuin also tested how cancer cells
responded to a new cancer therapeutic the company has
developed.
Other examples include LambdaVision, which took advantage
of microgravity conditions to improve the manufacturing process for
the company's artificial retina, and RevBio (formerly LaunchPad
Medical), which utilized the ISS to test an injectable bone
adhesive to accelerate bone repair. Many startups awarded the
Technology in Space Prize have gone on to obtain additional funding
from outside sources to advance their research. In fact, subsequent
to being awarded the Technology in Space Prize, the awardees as a
group have raised more than 30 times the funding provided through
the prize.
Grants awarded through the Technology in Space Prize provide
seed funding and assist with hardware costs for a flight project
using ISS National Lab flight and crew time allocation. To learn
more about applying for the Technology in Space Prize, view entry
information on the MassChallenge webpage.
The ISS National Lab is managed by CASIS through a Cooperative
Agreement with NASA. Final award of any grant money is contingent
upon acceptance of legal terms and conditions between Machine Bio,
CASIS, and Boeing.
To learn more about the ISS National Lab, including current
research announcements to propose projects that leverage the
orbiting platform, please visit www.ISSNationalLab.org.
To download a high-resolution photo for this
release, click here.
About the International Space Station (ISS) National
Laboratory:
The International Space Station (ISS) is a one-of-a-kind
laboratory that enables research and technology development not
possible on Earth. As a public service enterprise, the ISS National
Lab allows researchers to leverage this multiuser facility to
improve life on Earth, mature space-based business models, advance
science literacy in the future workforce, and expand a sustainable
and scalable market in low Earth orbit. Through this orbiting
national laboratory, research resources on the ISS are available to
support non-NASA science, technology and education initiatives from
U.S. government agencies, academic institutions, and the private
sector. The Center for the Advancement of Science in Space, Inc.
(CASIS) manages the ISS National Lab, under Cooperative Agreement
with NASA, facilitating access to its permanent microgravity
research environment, a powerful vantage point in low Earth orbit,
and the extreme and varied conditions of space. To learn more about
the ISS National Lab, visit www.ISSNationalLab.org.
Media
Contact:
|
Patrick
O'Neill
|
|
904-806-0035
|
|
PONeill@ISSNationalLab.org
|
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SOURCE International Space Station National Lab