Posted on

Launching medical research

A generation of drugs called monoclonal antibodies, also known as MABs, is altering the landscape of disease treatment by selectively targeting disease-causing agents and kick-starting immune cells. Using space-like conditions for further research may reveal ways to make drugs more targeted, concentrated and easier to administer.

MABs make up about one-third of protein-based therapeutics and are most often used to treat cancer and inflammation. They are widely regarded for their ability to target the specific protein of a pathogen and stop it from invading more cells. This means the therapy is tailored to the patient’s disease. The problem, however, is that patients need to get these drugs in large quantities over extended periods of time.

Proteins are too small to study under a microscope, so growing them into crystals lets researchers get a better understanding of their 3D constitution. Their makeup reveals how each protein works and how it contributes to disease scenarios. Once we understand this, drugs can be developed that mesh with the protein and fight the disease.

As well as being an important category of therapeutics, proteins are themselves drug targets. Drug companies need high-resolution protein structures to design suitable drugs.
This is where microgravity comes in.
Earth’s gravity can inhibit the growth and quality of crystals by affecting how the molecules position themselves on the exterior of the crystal. This makes space or a space-like environment ideal for this type of research.

AN INVOLVED PROCESS

David Sheehan, professor of biochemistry at Khalifa University, has been working on a method of crystalizing proteins for 12 years. His proteins are awaiting the arrival of vacuum chambers that mimic microgravity in a collaboration with Sean Shan Min Swei of the Department of Aerospace Engineering.

While turning proteins into crystals might seem like a cool magic trick, the process is quite involved. And many of the victories in successful crystallization can be attributed to time, patience and a lot of luck.

CAPTION: Crystals of protein furin grown on earth

Sheehan says initially, the protein is purified or separated from anything that might inhibit crystallization, like fatty materials from cells. The pH level is maintained for an optimum growth environment, and salt might be added to increase the ionic strength — or concentration — of the solution.

Other precipitants like polyethylene glycol or organic solvents, which decrease the protein solubility, are added. Then, the conditions are manipulated in a variety of ways, such as adjusting the temperature or exposure to gravity.

“The chemical additives and pH combined make up a condition. Most proteins only give crystals in a small number of conditions, so it is necessary to screen thousands of conditions to find the small number that will yield usable crystals,” Sheehan tells KUST Review.

And then it’s a waiting game — crystals might form in a week, a year or not at all.

Sheehan says researchers spend most of their time watching and hoping for a crystal, but most won’t see it: “When and if a crystal appears, then you’ve got a project.”

In his case, the crystals responded well to the addition of nanoparticles. While most of these types of experiments might typically result in one or two crystals from thousands, Sheehan’s team grew 15 crystals out of a panel of 16 proteins studied.

“We found one formulation that worked better than the others. So, then we used that nanoparticle with about 200 conditions,” he tells KUST Review.

This is unheard of, he says. And he knew they were on to something significant.

JOURNEY TO MICROGRAVITY

The project has a long history.

Sheehan grew his first nanoparticle-doped protein crystal over a decade ago, the result of an idea that had been brewing, a fridge full of available proteins, a student looking for a project and a friend with access to a synchrotron, a machine that uses electricity to create intense X-ray beams to study matter’s chemical and structural properties.

The student experimented with two nanoparticles, different from the ones used on the recent project: “The crystals grew very quickly and in the presence of a nanoparticle, they were larger, they grew faster, and they really grew. And that worked with both nanoparticles,” he says.

The stars (or crystals rather) aligned, and Sheehan and his student were soon transporting proteins to Dublin to a crystallographer friend who agreed to take them to the Paris synchrotron.

A synchrotron is about the size of a football field and is an ideal way to determine the three-dimensional atomic structure of a protein. It generates very intense X-ray beams that pass through a protein crystal and are scattered by the protein’s electrons.

CAPTION: https://kustreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Launching-medical-research-intext-2.jpg

The crystal is rotated and a second scatter pattern is obtained. From these scatter patterns an atomic level structure can be calculated, Sheehan says.

FOCUS ON PROTEINS

But why are we so focused on proteins? Why not other molecules?

Proteins are the worker bees of a cell. They play an essential role in most biological systems and are responsible for most cellular functions. They are responsible for the shape, the interior design, production, cleanup, general upkeep and communication of cells. This makes them of great interest for targeted drug development, Sheehan says.

There are more than 130 protein-based therapeutics on the market, and the next step is to make them even better.

Current drugs for diseases like cancer, for example, require patients to take them for lengthy periods. Patients might sit in a clinic, hooked up to an IV for hours at a time, to ensure they get the right concentration of treatment. These treatments can go on for months or years. Imagine if patients could receive a simple injection in a doctor’s office.

“When and if a crystal appears, then you’ve got a project.”

– David Sheehan, professor of biochemistry at Khalifa University

And this type of drug development is dependent on research like that of Sheehan and his team.

Furin, for example, is a potential antiviral drug target for treating COVID-19.

Aside from the contributions to science, fighting disease and improving patient care, it could also mean a commercial venture.

“This could be very big,” Sheehan says. “I can see two options for commercialization, one of which is to market this as a crystallization screen and the other a start-up offering this as a service to pharmaceutical companies, biopharma and scientists around the world who have proteins they want to structure.”

With the team’s current success rate of more than 90 percent, it’s promising.

Sheehan and his researcher Salma Sultana Syed have patented their screen in the USA, UAE and Europe. They are exploring creating a start-up to be called ProScreenix. after incorporating a vast number of additional proteins into their research and changing up the nanoparticles using their current screen. This will create a more difficult problem, but test the method against a more robust array of challenges and hopefully improve the success rate. If you can’t take your proteins to space, bring space to your proteins.

Success is also dependent on microgravity, so Sheehan’s team will use space-simulation chambers that mimic these conditions, offering faster crystallization time and higher quality crystals.

The team is also hoping to acquire a robot that will help increase the number of conditions from 160 to approximately 1,000 and increase the number they can test daily. “At this point, when you get to that stage, you’re in the zone of talking about having a center for excellence,” Sheehan says.

Now they just need the right investors.

According to Allied Market Research, the protein therapeutics global market value is expected to reach U.S.$566.6 billion by 2030, up from U.S.$283.64 billion in 2020.

More like this: A step forward in targeting tumors

Posted on

Seeing space in 2D

“Space exploration is a material-science saga, because independent of the electronics and so forth, materials are the enabling technology for the challenges that exist in space.”

That’s according to Carlo Iorio, director of the Center for Research and Engineering in Space Technologies at the University of Brussels. And the game-changers he’s most excited about: graphene and other 2D materials. “2D materials can be used and embedded for solving (many) different problems,” he tells the KUST Review.

Listen to the Deep Dive

IMAGE: Anas Al Bounni/KUST Review

Graphene might be the granddaddy of 2D materials, but it is relatively new, discovered in 2004, winning Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov a Nobel Prize in 2010 for its isolation. The material is a single layer of carbon atoms in a hexagonal pattern. It is tough, flexible, light and offers high resistance.

“The properties of graphene are exceptional in many ways,” says Yarjan Abdul Samad, who earned his Ph.D. at Khalifa University, studied the properties of 2D materials as a postdoc at Cambridge University, and has recently returned to Khalifa as an assistant professor in aerospace engineering.

Samad says the discovery of graphene launched a tidal wave of 2D material research: “There are thousands of new 2D materials now under investigation because of the discovery of graphene. It’s as if a new periodic table has erupted,” he says.

“Every property can be utilized for an application not possible for traditional materials. That keeps me intrigued. For me, especially when I look at the challenges of space, whether it’s thermal management or radiation protection or long journeys, there are so many issues that need unconventional solutions. 2D materials are versatile and tunable to solve many problems,” Samad says.

Here’s a look at some of the issues of space travel and settlement Iorio and Samad say 2D materials might address:

Radiation protection

Space radiation is often considered the top limiting factor of long-term space travel, with astronauts likely facing risks of cardiovascular and degenerative disease and cancer.

“I may be biased on this, but top of the list (of 2D applications) is radiation protection. Everyone is concerned about radiation and there have been many radiation-related incidents. So, how can we protect against radiation?” Samad asks. “It’s a very complex phenomenon, and conventional materials won’t work against galactic cosmic radiation. We need to come up with an approach where we can have selective protection.”

Graphene and hybrid solutions might be the answer, he suggests.

Space radiation is also on the top of Iorio’s list of 2D applications for space – “first and foremost,” he says.

Space shields will allow human exploration over long distances, he says. “At present it’s fairly challenging to settle on Mars.”

Samad worked with the UAE’s Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Center on the Rashid Rover project that was presumed lost when its lander apparently crashed in April 2023.

IMAGE: Anas Al Bounni/KUST Review

But plans are underway for Rashid 2, and Samad says studying radiation’s effects on 2D materials is under discussion. “(This) is one of the most pressing challenges, in my opinion,” he says.

Suits and habitats

Advanced materials are required for making temperature-resistant suits and structures for people to use on Mars or the moon, Iorio says. 2D material molybdenum disulfide will play a role in this specific challenge, he adds. 2D materials could also be useful in other construction applications.

Khalifa University is exploring rubber-based components with graphene to not only withstand the extreme temperatures but help the infrastructure sustain moonquakes, Iorio notes. “If it’s rigid (the structure) will break. Imagine if the cracks allowed the O2 out.”

Transporting materials from Earth into space is expensive. But 2D materials are light. And Samad sees potential for them to turn matter found on the moon or other worlds into building blocks for settlements. “There could be composites or hybrid materials,” he says. “There are many approaches that can be taken.”

IMAGE: Anas Al Bounni/KUST Review

And once the habitat is built, keeping it a healthy environment for human residents could also fall on 2D materials.

“Graphene and graphene oxide can play a role in materials that can prevent the spread of bacteria and foreign biological elements,” Iorio says. “Imagine in a sealed human base if an epidemic is spread. We’re at the level of a sci-fi scenario.”

Thermal regulation

“How can we stand the lunar nights and what kinds of materials can help with that?” Samad asks.

2D materials show promise: Not only can they resist the extreme temperatures of space, they are excellent candidates to transfer the heat from, for example, a sun-facing side of a craft to the side facing away, where the temperatures could vary by 200 Celsius. And because 2D materials are, well, 2D, they require little space, freeing up room for bigger habitats.

“In space you have a lot of heat that is lost. So (2D) materials like MXenes have been used because they have a low infrared signature,” Iorio says.

Propulsion systems

“Another application is the propulsion system for a rocket. 2D materials can easily be functionalized,” Iorio says.One possibility: sails made from graphene membranes powered by light from the sun or lasers, freeing spacecraft to travel farther and longer without having to carry fuel on board. The craft would also be lighter, nimbler and easier to launch. The European Space Agency says graphene has passed initial tests that show it is a viable candidate.

IMAGE: Anas Al Bounni/KUST Review

Earthside applications

What we learn from our space exploration attempts can be quite useful for us at home too, here on Earth. The problems graphene and other 2D materials solve in space can easily be transferred to Earthbound issues, Iorio says. “The problem of scarcity that we solve in space will be used to solve the problem of rising scarcity anywhere,” he says.

Filters and membranes developed for recycling water on a moon base, for example, can help conserve resources on Earth.

“The technology that we develop for space is capable of exploiting every single drop of water, which is the same goal of a sustainable economy,” Iorio says. “There is also a scarcity of power. That means that the concepts we develop for space are to use the least energy. Regardless of how far we get in space, this will possibly be used on the ground to reduce energy consumption.”

Samad sees advances in radiation protection eventually protecting data centers on Earth whose systems are vulnerable to cosmic radiation. Additionally, thermal management in spacecraft could eventually improve technology for trains and transportation in general.

“In the Emirates there is a growing interest in sustainability,” Iorio says. “Despite the luxury of the lifestyle, there is more attention to sustainability, reducing the carbon footprint and so forth. I have been in developing countries but one of the things that strictly relates space exploration with sustainable development is they share the need to tackle the scarcity of resources.”

Posted on

UAE to help build lunar-orbiting station

The UAE’s deal to contribute the airlock for the planned lunar-orbiting Gateway station marks a significant milestone for the nation, a Khalifa University expert on the space sector says.

“The Gateway project is a fundamental part of the Artemis program and sets up the stage for further exploring the moon by developing and maintaining a manned space station in lunar orbit. The UAE’s recent partnership with NASA on this project highlights the country’s dedication to becoming a major player in the space sector in the coming years,” Mohamed Ramy El-Maarry, director of the Space and Planetary Science Center at Khalifa University, tells KUST Review.

Gateway, the space station expected to orbit the moon, will serve as a science lab and temporary lodging as astronauts explore the moon and test its materials. The Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre will provide the airlock that will allow people and supplies to enter and exit the station. The deal also includes the potential for UAE astronauts to participate in future moon missions.

President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Jan. 7 announced the project on X, formerly Twitter: “I was pleased to attend with my brother Mohammed bin Rashid the launch of the UAE’s contributions to the historic lunar Gateway, which will serve as humanity’s first space station around the moon.

“Through our long-term investment in space exploration and scientific innovation, the UAE is determined to work alongside its international partners to enable collective progress for all.”

The project is part of NASA’s Artemis program aimed at returning astronauts to the moon by 2024 and the next frontier — an eventual human mission to Mars.

IMAGE: Pixabay

The UAE’s Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Center is the latest member to join the international partnership of the lunar Gateway project consisting of the European Space Agency, the Canadian Space Agency and the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency.

Gateway is expected to serve as a layover for future missions deeper into the cosmos with a docking port, part of the airlock to be provided by the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre, for those deep-space missions.

The agreement reinforces scientific ties between the UAE and the United States.

“By combining our resources, scientific capacity and technical skill, the U.S. and UAE will further our collective vision for space and ensure it presents extraordinary opportunities for everyone here on Earth,” U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, who also chairs the U.S. National Space Council, said in a press release.

The UAE’s space program has moved at a rapid pace since its launch in 2017. Accomplishments include sending its first two UAE astronauts to the ISS and its first spacewalk.

In conjunction with NASA, Hazza al Mansoori completed an eight-day stay on the ISS in 2019. Sultan al Neyadi in 2023 completed six months on the ISS, numerous scientific experiments and the first space walk by an Arab.

It has been over five decades since a human walked on the moon but the UAE space program has its sights set on being there for a lunar-exploration revival.

Along with the crew airlock and ongoing engineering services to the ISS, the agreement with NASA includes UAE access to the space station and the opportunity for its own astronauts to embark on lunar missions.

NASA has scheduled a Jan. 31 town hall meeting about the Gateway project with presentations and panels.

Posted on

Indian lunar rover finds sulfur and more

India on Aug. 23 became the first country to successfully land on the south pole of the moon.

But what have they done lately?

In the week since the landing, India’s Vikram lander confirmed the presence of sulfur and other elements, including iron, titanium and calcium, the Indian Space Research Organization says on its website.

The rover over its expected 14-day mission is also looking for signs of ice that might eventually produce rocket fuel or provide human lunar explorers with drinking water.

The Indian space program is not resting on its laurels during the Vikram lander’s mission. It has scheduled a Sept. 2 launch of the Aditya L1 spacecraft for the first Indian space-based study of the sun.

Posted on

In space, no one can hear you flush

Ensuring the accessibility of water on Earth is a priority for science in the coming years to be certain.

But so is making sure it’s available in space.

It isn’t like finding water in space is impossible. The chemical elements that make water – hydrogen and oxygen – are abundant in space.

“NASA science activities have provided a wave of amazing findings related to water in recent years that inspire us to continue investigating our origins and the fascinating possibilities for other worlds, and life, in the universe,” says Ellen Stofan, a chief NASA scientist, on NASA.gov.

NASA astronaut and Expedition 65 Flight Engineer Mark Vande Hei services components on an advanced new toilet installed inside the International Space Station’s Tranquility module. CREDIT: NASA

NASA points to the four giant planets in our solar system – Uranus, Jupiter, Saturn and Neptune – as being likely to contain large amounts of water. There is also evidence that five moons of Jupiter and Saturn contain oceans under their surfaces.

In 2020, NASA announced the discovery of H2O in sunlit areas of the Earth’s moon, suggesting that the water molecule is widely distributed across the lunar surface.

And scientists have discovered a huge cloud of water vapor about 30 billion miles away that contains at least 140 trillion times the amount of water in all of the seas and oceans on Earth.

In fact, all of the water here came from out there as ice piggybacking on the comets and asteroids that plowed into a hot and dry young Earth. That’s right: Water is alien.

We recycle about 90 percent of all water-based liquids on the space station, including urine and sweat.”

– Jessica Meir , astronaur

For privacy, the toilet is located inside of a stall just like in a public restroom on Earth. CREDIT: NASA

But ensuring a steady supply for humans venturing out into space is a bit more complicated right now than steering into a vapor cloud or drilling into a frozen moon. Explorers will have to ensure they bring and manage whatever they need.

“We recycle about 90 percent of all water-based liquids on the space station, including urine and sweat,” says astronaut Jessica Meir on NASA.gov. “What we try to do aboard the space station is mimic elements of Earth’s natural water cycle to reclaim water from the air. And when it comes to our urine on (the International Space Station), today’s coffee is tomorrow’s coffee!”

Part of the liquid-recovery process is accomplished with NASA’s new space toilet: The $23 million Universal Waste Management System launched to the ISS in 2020.

The toilet, designed for male and female astronauts, aids in recycling more urine for tomorrow’s coffee. The water in fecal content is not currently being recycled, but NASA scientists are looking into it.

That could help them do better than their current 90 percent recovery rate. NASA wants to bring that recycling rate to 98 percent before humans board a proposed Mars transport vehicle for missions expected to last two years round-trip. NASA is aiming for the Mars missions to begin in the 2030s.