With NASA’s Artemis program preparing for the first crewed moon landing since 1972, four commercial space stations in development, and companies like SpaceX setting their sights on Mars, long-duration human space travel is moving closer to reality. But the challenge lies not only in reaching these distant worlds but in finding ways to survive once we get there.
The need for a new approach to life support
For decades, life support systems have relied on chemical filtration, physical processing, and non-renewable materials. While effective for shorter missions, these systems become impractical for extended stays beyond Earth’s orbit. Transporting enough consumables and spare parts for long-duration Moon expeditions or multi-year Mars missions adds significant cost, fuel requirements, and logistical challenges, making resupply-dependent systems unsustainable.
Biotechnology offers a scalable alternative, but realizing its full potential requires commitment from governments and space agencies. By harnessing biological processes such as microbial and plant-based systems, space missions can become more self-sufficient. If decision-makers prioritize biotech innovation and fund new research and development, these technologies could support air purification, water recycling, and food production — creating the closed-loop environments essential for deep space habitation. Without this investment, missions may remain reliant on costly and logistically challenging resupply efforts, limiting humanity’s ability to explore and settle beyond Earth.
Moving from research to practical application
The International Space Station (ISS) has been a testbed for sustaining human life in space, but its life support systems still rely on chemical scrubbers and mechanical recycling, requiring frequent maintenance and resupply. To enable long-duration space travel, we need approaches that require minimal upkeep and can regenerate rather than degrade over time.
One promising avenue is algae-based life support. Algae can convert exhaled carbon dioxide into oxygen through photosynthesis while simultaneously producing proteins and nutrients. The key challenge is scaling this process for practical use in spacecraft or lunar habitats. One aspect of making this a reality comes from research and developing efficient bioreactors that can function in microgravity, optimizing algae strains for high oxygen output and nutritional value, and conducting extended trials in space-like conditions to refine these systems. Another core part is likely to come from national-level support avenues, for instance, government-led funding opportunities that cross disciplines, allowing space and biotech companies to jointly bid for support for adapting the technology for space applications.
Synthetic biology offers further possibilities. Genetically modified algae and other microorganisms could produce a range of useful compounds, from health-promoting substances and textile fibres to essential minerals and metals reclaimed from waste streams.
Another area of interest is mycelium-based materials. Mycelium, the root-like structure of fungi, has shown potential as a lightweight, self-repairing radiation shield that could be grown aboard spacecraft, reducing the need to launch heavy shielding materials. But for this to move beyond concept, it requires rigorous testing of its durability in extreme space conditions, as well as integrating with existing spacecraft structures.
While still in the testing phase, Star Helix is exploring this already, both using the mycelium itself and extracting the active compound to embed in materials. In the United States, there is also work coming out of NASA’s Ames Research Center, focusing more on using mycelium as a construction material, with bricks that could be used to “grow” homes using fungi for future explorers.
Microbial systems could also play a role in health management. Bacteria behave differently in microgravity, often becoming more aggressive and resistant to antibiotics. Research is needed to develop antimicrobial biomaterials for spacecraft interiors and spacesuits, helping to control bacterial growth and reduce infection risks for astronauts.
What will it take to make these technologies mission-ready?
For biotechnology to become a practical tool for spaceflight, it must transition from terrestrial applications to fully operational space systems. This requires adapting hardware for the space environment and subjecting it to extensive environmental testing, including vibration, shock and real-world trials aboard platforms like the ISS or lunar landers. Moving beyond gravity-based engineering is essential to proving these technologies can function in microgravity.
With commercial launch capabilities driving down costs and wait times, the adaptation and validation of terrestrial technology could take as little as a year — depending on the complexity of the hardware involved. For instance, iIf the technology is already terrestrially proven and the hardware requires relatively little re-engineering, then a range of tests such as vibration, shock, and thermal vacuum chamber testing can be performed on land. Payload rideshare opportunities can, therefore, be booked for around 10 months time, rather than 10 years, as would have been the case a decade ago.
Funding structures must also evolve to better support hybrid projects that bridge biotech and space, rather than forcing researchers to fit into one category or the other. One potential model could involve joint funds between space agencies and biotech investors, sharing the risks of early-stage research.
At the same time, clear regulatory pathways are needed to guide the testing and deployment of biotech-driven life support systems, similar to the approval process for new pharmaceuticals before they are used in human medicine. Space agencies could work with national and international regulatory bodies to create frameworks for biotech trials in space, defining safety standards and approval processes to ensure that these technologies meet the rigorous requirements of space missions.
Scotland’s role in advancing space biotech
Work towards advancing space biotech has already begun in Scotland, with the country leveraging its strong foundation in both biotechnology and space. With continued support, Scotland could play a role in bridging the gap between research and real-world application. Targeted investment in infrastructure is key to fully realizing this potential. A dedicated facility for space microbiology – equipped with wet labs, including autoclaves, laminar flow hoods, clinostats, and space-related testing infrastructure, would provide researchers with the tools needed to develop and test biotech-driven methods under space-like conditions.
Policymakers can further strengthen the sector by ensuring funding models support biotech-space partnerships across academia and industry, allowing research to progress beyond the concept stage into practical use. Collaboration between networks such as the Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre (IBioIC), Space Scotland and Satellite Applications Catapult will be key to driving progress. Ensuring these advancements receive not only the necessary research backing but also the financial and regulatory support will be crucial to making them viable for future missions.
As efforts to return to the moon progress and discussions around Mars exploration continue, it’s clear that current life support systems have an expiration date. Biotech offers a self-sustaining alternative — one that adapts and regenerates rather than degrades over time. The next challenge is ensuring these breakthroughs move from theoretical possibilities to fully integrated technologies capable of sustaining human life beyond Earth.
Dr. Natasha Nicholson is the founding director of Star Helix, an Edinburgh-based space research and technology company that adapts terrestrial technologies for the human spaceflight market.
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