Biotia, a biotechnology company at the forefront of infectious disease diagnostics innovation, announced its selection as an award recipient in the prestigious Humans in Space (HIS) Challenge—a global innovation initiative led by South Korea–based Boryung Corporation.
Marking a significant milestone, Biotia has been named the first-ever recipient of Orbital Launch Funding (OLF), a flagship HIS program designed to support pioneering startups with strategic funding, expert mentorship, and key industry connections to facilitate successful experimentation in space environments.
Through a three-way collaboration with Boryung and Dr. Charles Chiu of the University of California, San Francisco, Biotia will focus on advancing next-generation diagnostics tailored for both space missions and healthcare delivery in some of the world’s most remote and underserved regions.
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“This project focuses on adapting a clinically validated metagenomic sequencing-based platform to create highly portable, autonomous infectious disease diagnostics that can function reliably in orbit,” said Dr. Chiu, adding that “We will leverage the same technologies that are being deployed in the harsh environment of space to support underserved populations on Earth who have limited or no access to clinical testing.”
Bridging Space Innovation and Terrestrial Healthcare
By combining cutting-edge molecular technology with space-ready resilience, the partnership aims to accelerate the development of diagnostic tools that can operate independently in low-resource settings—whether aboard spacecraft or in isolated communities without access to conventional healthcare infrastructure.
“This collaboration enables us to build on our years of collaborative research in extreme environments and accelerate the development of diagnostics that can protect astronauts on long-duration missions to the Moon and Mars,” said Dr. Chris Mason, Co-Founder and Global Director of Biotia. “We’re honored to partner with Boryung and contribute to a future where precision health is possible anywhere — whether in orbit or in the most remote corners of our planet.”
This milestone not only highlights Biotia’s role in space health innovation but also underscores the potential for space technologies to revolutionize disease detection and public health outcomes here on Earth.