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. and Boeing 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.
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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.
SOURCE: PR Newswire