Speaker
Description
Introduction
Microgravity provides a unique environment for advancing tissue engineering and biofabrication by eliminating gravitational constraints such as sedimentation, buoyancy, and hydrostatic pressure gradients. These factors enable 3D bioprinting of tissue and organ constructs of more complex geometries in three dimensions, offering structural and functional fidelity that is difficult to achieve under terrestrial conditions. The PULSE (3D Printing of Ultra-fideLity tissues using Space for anti-ageing solutions on Earth) project aims to leverage these advantages for bioprinting high-fidelity cardiac tissue models in space for ageing research and drug development.
Methods
The PULSE project includes the development of a novel levitation-based bioprinting system that combines acoustic and magnetic fields to position and fuse cellular spheroids into complex tissue constructs. This system will be validated under real microgravity conditions during a mission to the International Space Station in 2027. For the implementation of the PULSE mission, science requirements were first identified and translated into system requirements and specifications. Then, an accommodation study was conducted with the aim of identifying the most feasible solution for the accommodation of the PULSE device. Interface requirements with ISS systems include electrical power, data communication, crew interaction procedures, and launch safety compliance. Biological protocols are being developed to ensure tissue viability throughout all steps of the mission: from ground preparation and launch to in-orbit experiment execution and sample return.
Results
The requirements of the PULSE project led to the selection of a concept able to operate within a self-contained payload unit with integrated environmental controls and autonomous medium exchange and sample fixation capabilities. To minimize the need for crew time, crew interaction will be limited to the introduction of the bioink compartment containing the biological samples into the main unit of the PULSE device prior to installation in the ICE Cubes Facility inside the Columbus module of the International Space Station. All other functionalities will be performed autonomously by the PULSE device or controlled from ground with near-real time interaction between the science team on Earth and the PULSE device in space through the ICE Cubes Mission Control Center. Preliminary ground-based bioprinting tests using the levitation system have demonstrated the ability to successfully perform sample levitation. Biological tests showed compatibility of the science protocols with the proposed mission scenario. The experiment is planned to have a duration of 4-6 weeks in orbit. At the end of the experiment, samples will be returned to Earth for post-flight analysis.
Discussion
This work demonstrates the technical feasibility and scientific potential of using the microgravity environment towards the development of new biofabrication technologies with benefits for Earth and space exploration. This project is also a case study in the end-to-end process of translating terrestrial biofabrication platforms into operational spaceflight payloads, highlighting the challenges and opportunities of interdisciplinary convergence between biomedical science and aerospace engineering.
Acknowledgments
This work was supported by the European Innovation Council under grant agreement No. 101099346 (PULSE Project).
Disclosure
The authors declare no competing financial interests.
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