India to conduct first-ever biological experiments on the International Space Station

Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh announced on Thursday that India is set to conduct its first-ever biological experiments aboard the International Space Station (ISS) to study the sustainability of human life in space. This initiative is part of the BioE3 biotechnology policy launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last year.

These unique experiments, spearheaded by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in collaboration with Department of Biotechnology (DBT), will be carried out as part of the upcoming ISS mission AXIOM-4, with Indian astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla as a crew member. Singh stated that the first experiment at the ISS will examine the impact of microgravity and space radiation on the growth of edible microalgae, a nutrient-rich potential food source for long-duration space missions.

Rich in proteins, lipids, and bioactive compounds, microalgae are promising for safe and sustainable space-based nutrition. This project is a joint initiative of ISRO, NASA, and DBT, aiming to analyse key growth parameters and changes in transcriptomes, proteomes, and metabolomes of different algal species in space compared to Earth-based controls. The results will help identify the most suitable micro algal species for use in space environments, he added.

Microalgae offer several key advantages that make them ideal candidates for sustaining life in space. They absorb carbon dioxide and produce oxygen effectively, contributing to air revitalisation in closed environments like spacecraft. Additionally, they provide a space-saving option for producing food and oxygen during long-duration space missions.

The second experiment at the ISS will study the growth and proteomic responses of cyanobacteria, such as Spirulina and Synechococcus, under microgravity conditions using urea- and nitrate-based media. Singh emphasised the need to recycle carbon and nitrogen from human waste during prolonged space travel to achieve self-sustainability in spacecraft and future extra-terrestrial colonies. Cyanobacteria, due to their fast growth and efficient photosynthesis, are ideal agents for such recycling systems.

The experiments have been developed in association with scientists from the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), New Delhi, under the broader ISRO-DBT research collaboration.