Why it matters
Missions to the Moon and Mars will last years.
Food loses vitamins in storage, medicines expire, radiation is constant and the microbes in and on the body change. There is no resupply and no quick return home, so supplies must be stable for years and crews must be able to look after themselves.
That is the problem space biotechnology addresses. Aeginis is developing fourteen products across gut and immune health, skin and mouth care, nutrition on demand, medicine and recovery, and Mars habitat protection, each designed to be shelf-stable without refrigeration and to be tested for the stresses of spaceflight.
Months of usable shelf life. Missions to Mars last years, with no resupply and no quick return home.
Product areas
From probiotics to peptides.
Prebiotic Fibre and SCFA Support Blend
Fibre that feeds the beneficial bacteria already in the gut.
Rinse-Free Microbiome Skin Care
Wipes and creams that support skin microbes when showering is not possible.
Oral Microbiome Care
Lozenges and paste for long missions, where dental emergencies cannot be treated.
Women's Urogenital Health Probiotic
A probiotic for women's urinary and vaginal health, an area with very little spaceflight research.
Stabilised Vitamin System
Encapsulated vitamins designed to hold potency through 5 years of storage.
On-Demand Nutrient Packs
Dried microbial packs that make carotenoids, riboflavin and folate when water is added.
On-Demand Peptide Library
Dried spores, each programmed to make one medicine on request within about 24 hours.
Exosome Wound-Care for Microgravity
Exosome-based wound care for the slow wound healing seen in space.
Radiation Recovery Vesicles
Protective vesicles from radiation-tolerant microbes, to help tissues recover.
Mars Dust and Perchlorate Defence Kit
A dried enzyme cartridge for habitat air filters that breaks perchlorate down.
Pipeline
Where each product stands.
Decision support
Cosmion decides what to test next.
Our computational biology platform reads the space-biology evidence, screens strains for safety, designs and checks peptides, simulates missions and ranks the pipeline, with a confidence range on every prediction. Explore Cosmion.
Questions
Space biotech FAQ.
What is space biotechnology?
Space biotechnology applies biology to the challenges of spaceflight: keeping crews healthy, producing food and medicine on long missions, protecting against radiation and building with biological materials.
Why do astronauts need probiotics?
In astronauts on 6 to 12 month ISS missions, gut, skin, nose and tongue microbes all shifted, with changes linked to skin rashes and immune alteration. Probiotics are one way of supporting a healthy microbial community, which is why we are developing shelf-stable, spore-based formats.
How long do medicines last in space?
Most medicines flown to the ISS have a shelf life under 24 months, and biologics last about 6 months even when refrigerated. Missions to Mars last years, so new approaches to storing and making medicine are needed.
Can medicine be made in space?
It is a research goal. Our On-Demand Peptide Library stores dried spores of Bacillus subtilis, each programmed to make one medicine, to produce it on request within about 24 hours.
How much bone do astronauts lose?
Astronauts lose roughly 1 to 2% of bone density a month in microgravity, which is why bone health is a research priority for long missions.
What is the danger of Martian dust?
Martian dust is very fine and contains 0.5 to 1% perchlorate, which interferes with thyroid function. Our Mars Dust and Perchlorate Defence Kit is a concept for breaking perchlorate down in habitat air filters.
Are Aeginis products available?
No. All products are under research and development, are not approved by any regulator and are not available for sale.
All 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.
Let's build the next shield together.
Space agencies, station builders, research institutes and sustainable-construction partners: we would like to hear from you.