Noblis said two of its research projects have arrived at the International Space Station aboard SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft.
The Helix Horizons Astral DNA Storage Endeavor is a DNA-based system for encoding and storing data. The Synthetic Consortia Integrated Production System, or ScIPS, is designed to test space-based biomanufacturing and autonomous life support.
The experiments were made possible through Voyager Technologies and sponsored by the ISS National Laboratory.
“By launching experiments in molecular DNA data storage and synthetic biology platforms in space, we are not only testing system performance in extreme environments, we’re validating architectures that could one day enable massive scalability with ultra-stable data archives and adaptive biomanufacturing for deep space missions.” said Mile Corrigan, president and CEO of Noblis. “The ability to store humanity’s most critical data in DNA and manufacture essential materials in space isn’t just a scientific milestone – it can accelerate new markets in data infrastructure, space-based manufacturing and autonomous life-support systems.”
Helix Horizons is designed to tackle challenges in space-based data storage, such as power demands, radiation exposure, weight limits and secure retention. The experiment includes four payloads with encrypted DNA messages and microbial cultures, which astronauts will study using the station’s genomic sequencer.
“With Helix Horizons, we’re taking technologies in new directions that anticipate customer needs,” said Andrew Biviano, the project’s principal investigator. “This experiment is the culmination of years of R&D, with cutting-edge use cases ranging from secure communication to long-term data archiving, applicable across the aerospace, defense and intelligence sectors.”
At the same time, ScIPS explores sustainable nutrition in remote or hostile environments. The project uses synthetic communities of Generally Recognized as Safe microorganisms, with each organism producing a key nutrient. The goal is to create food sources that can be grown and consumed on-site, offering a new model for biomanufacturing in austere conditions.
“The ScIPS platform represents an innovative approach to critical challenges in both space and here on Earth,” said Dr. Bradley Abramson, principal investigator for the ScIPS project. “The microorganisms we’re deploying can drive sustainable nutrition systems in space stations or humanitarian crisis zones as autonomous life-support systems. The same versatile technology can be applied to develop biofuels and biomaterials at the point of need.”
With the payloads now on the space station, the next steps include astronaut-led DNA sequencing, transmission of the data to Earth and subsequent analysis and decryption by Noblis researchers.