Product 13 of 14
Protective vesicles from radiation-tolerant microbes, to help tissues recover.
Deep-space radiation is a constant, and no approved drug protects against it. MycoShell shields the habitat, but crews are still exposed during transit and surface work.
Radiation Recovery Vesicles are protective vesicles derived from radiation-tolerant microbes, aimed at helping tissues recover after radiation exposure. Some microbes survive doses that would kill most life, and we are studying whether their protective components can be delivered in a stable, usable form.
It is a research programme. The questions are what the vesicles contain, whether they are safe and whether they measurably help cells recover in controlled radiation experiments.
The problem
No approved drug protects against deep-space cosmic radiation.
Source: published spaceflight studies and NASA planning figures; refers to work by other groups.
The science
Why this approach.
Some microbes survive radiation doses that would kill most life. They protect themselves with efficient DNA repair, strong antioxidants and protective proteins. If the protective components can be separated and delivered in vesicles, they may help cells cope with, or recover from, radiation exposure.
No approved drug protects against deep-space cosmic radiation, so even partial recovery support would be valuable. This is a research programme: we are characterising what the vesicles contain, testing safety, and running cell-based radiation experiments before any claim is considered. It complements, and does not replace, shielding such as MycoShell.
In use
Across the length of a mission.
How this product is intended to fit into a crew's routine, from loading to return.
Vesicles stored in a stable format with the medical kit.
Considered after significant exposure events such as solar particle storms.
Available for surface work, where shielding is partial.
Exposure and outcome data inform whether the approach has merit.
Design
Four decisions that shape it.
Source organisms
Radiation-tolerant microbes studied for protective components.
Vesicle isolation
Reproducible production and characterisation of the vesicles.
Stable delivery
A format that survives long storage.
Complements shielding
Works alongside MycoShell and the radioprotective probiotic, not in place of them.
Risks
What could go wrong, and what we do about it.
| Risk | How we address it |
|---|---|
| Unknown mechanism | Characterisation of contents and mechanism before any claim. |
| Immune response to microbial material | Safety and immunogenicity testing at each stage. |
| Delivery and stability | Formulation work for a dry, storable product. |
Test plan
Ground, analog, orbit.
A staged programme: ground first, then analog crews, then flight.
Ground testing
Cell-based radiation experiments and storage stability, with simulated cosmic radiation.
Isolated-crew studies
Safety assessment before any use in people.
Flight testing
Passive payload exposed to the space environment.
Partnerships
Radiation-biology labs and agencies.
Questions
FAQ.
Does it prevent radiation damage?
No such claim is made. It is aimed at recovery and is in research.
How does it relate to MycoShell?
MycoShell shields the habitat; the vesicles are a biological complement for the person.
Related
Works well with.
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ConceptRead moreAll products on this site are under research and development. They are not approved or cleared by any regulator and are not available for sale. Nothing here is medical advice, and no product is intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Descriptions of research refer to published studies by other groups and do not claim that our products have been proven in space. Radiation Recovery Vesicles is a product under research and development and is not available for sale.
Let's build the next shield together.
Space agencies, station builders, research institutes and sustainable-construction partners: we would like to hear from you.