SI-WHIM: Space ImmunoBioInks for Wound Healing In Microgravity
Swiss partners
- AO Research Institute Davos: Jacek Wychowaniec (main applicant)
Partners in the MENA region
- New York University Abu Dhabi, Emirats arabes unis: Jeremy Teo (main applicant)
Presentation of the project
As humanity prepares for longer and more ambitious space missions, keeping astronauts healthy becomes increasingly important. One major challenge is that the space environment weakens the human immune system, making it harder for the body to fight infections and properly heal wounds. In particular, special immune cells called macrophages, are key players in coordinating wound healing. They can behave abnormally in microgravity, potentially leading to slow or improper healing.
Our project, SI-WHIM (Space ImmunoBioInks for Wound Healing in Microgravity), focuses on developing a smart material that can help solve this problem. We designed a unique hydrogel, called a Space ImmunoBioInk, that could be applied directly to a wound. This material could quickly form a protective and functional barrier without needing external triggers, which is ideal for emergency treatment in space. At the same time, it can deliver biological signals or host immune cells, helping guide the body’s healing process in a controlled and healthy way.
To test whether this concept works in space-like conditions, we developed a small lab-on-a-chip device. This small system acts like a simplified wound model, where we can study how cells behave. Inside the chip, we recreated a “wound” and observed how immune cells (macrophages) and tissue-forming cells interacted when treated with our hydrogels. We also tested on a random positioning machine, which simulates microgravity on Earth, how our Space ImmunoBioInks behave.
Our main result is that we successfully tested selection of Space ImmunoBioInks in their ability to guide immune cells. We also generated and operated a small compact testing platform and were able to observe simulated wound healing process under simulated microgravity. This demonstrates that our approach is technically feasible: we can study wound healing processes in space-like conditions and evaluate how materials like Space ImmunoBioinks influence them. These findings represent an important step toward developing practical treatments that could help both astronauts recover safely from injuries during future space missions, as well as bring new knowledge into the use of universal biomaterials that can program the way our immune system reacts.
Article in Biomaterial Advances (2025)
Article in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces (2025)