Delta Biosciences, a Lithuanian life sciences company, is the first company in Europe to be selected for NASA’s Space-H accelerator programme, which promotes advanced space-based healthcare technologies. The door was opened by an R&D contract signed in 2023 with the European Space Agency (ESA), with which the company has started developing chemical compounds to protect astronauts from radiation on deep space missions. Together with NASA, Delta Biosciences will contribute to innovative solutions in space health care, helping to prepare for the coming leap in human civilisation – deep space missions.
“According to Dominykas Milašius, founder of Delta Biosciences, with this project, the company is entering a new industry – astrochemistry – where biochemical research is being applied in space.
“This project will help to expand research in astrochemistry. Our partnership with ESA has encouraged us to apply our biochemical research technologies to space exploration. “The Space-H recognition motivates us even more to contribute to the reduction of harmful health effects in space. We are now preparing for the next step – experimental validation of our research in orbit. We aim to carry out the experiment on the International Space Station and delve even deeper into the development of space medicine,” says Milašius.
Jekaterina Kalinienė, Head of the BioTech Lab at the Innovation Agency, says that Delta Biosciences’ participation in the programme is an important step for Lithuania.
“This collaboration marks a significant milestone in the development of resilient and autonomous healthcare operational systems for future space missions. Continuous innovation and the development of new areas are helping to sustain the Lithuanian life science sector’s annual growth of around 30%. By continuing to do this successfully, we will further consolidate our position on the global stage,” shares J. Kalinienė.
Radiation protection for astronauts and cancer patients
“Delta Biosciences’ partnership with ESA is currently focused on the development of radioprotective compounds that could protect astronauts from space radiation. This research has important implications for long-term deep space exploration – in particular for the planned human missions to the Moon and Mars.
“Our collaboration with Delta Biosciences is part of ESA’s wider strategy to better understand how to protect human health during space missions. Delta Biosciences’ innovative approach to radioprotective compounds may help future research beyond low-Earth orbit,” said Dr Christine Hahn, Human Research Scientist in ESA’s Human and Robotics Research Directorate.
“Dr Donatas Žmuidinavičius, Head of Information Technology at Delta Biosciences, reveals that the work with ESA and Space-H is part of a larger, advanced research project with wider applications.
“This research is not only crucial for emergency rescue teams and air and space crews, who receive increased radiation exposure on a daily basis, but also has medical benefits for cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy. We are following a further dual-use test plan, both on Earth and in space,” says Žmuidinavičius.
Focus on commercial space travellers too
“Delta Biosciences was also one of twelve companies worldwide selected for the inaugural Space-H Space Health Accelerator. The programme is a unique collaboration between aerospace giants Starburst, NASA’s Human Research Program (HRP), NASA HRP, the Space Health Research Institute (TRISH), the Methuselah Foundation and Microsoft. It focuses on new autonomous health and medical systems needed for lunar and Mars missions, as well as for commercial space travellers with extended stays in low Earth orbit.
“Science accelerators are a great way to stimulate innovation and technical progress. NASA is so interested in accelerators focused on space medicine because as the commercial space sector grows, more and more people will be going into space. We are looking for ideas to help develop medical care in space to meet the needs of more astronauts,” says Jancy McPhee, Chief Scientist of NASA’s Human Research Programme.
“The Artemis programme and the growth of the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) economy, including space tourism, space exploration and manufacturing, provide new opportunities to develop biological research and support the development of advanced, fully autonomous medical systems. New technologies based on space research will not only protect space travellers, but can also improve healthcare outcomes here on Earth,” said Elizabeth Reynolds, Starburs’ CEO.
“Delta Biosciences is the only European company selected for the Space-H programme. International space health pioneers ANYg Bio, Ejenta, Esperto Medical, GattaCo, Innsightful, LinkGevity, Mitrix Bio, Nahlia, NaNotics, Space REDI and Synapsis Medical have also been selected.
