Adaptive Nano-Instructive Platforms for Space Life Science (Astropharmacy)

In this research area, we develop adaptive nano-instructive pharmaceutical platforms that can sense space-induced stress and dynamically adjust their functional roles to protect, stabilize, and restore biological systems.

A central focus of our Astropharmacy research is the structural integrity and conformational stability of biomolecules, including proteins, peptides, and RNA, under extreme environmental conditions. Unlike conventional nanomedicine approaches that primarily emphasize carrier performance, we integrate nanomaterial design with pharmaceutical formulation and stability science, ensuring that therapeutic biomolecules maintain their native structure and function during exposure to radiation, oxidative stress, freeze–drying, long-term storage, and reconstitution.

To achieve this, we employ advanced spectroscopic and analytical approaches, combined with rational formulation strategies, to elucidate how nanomaterials and excipients influence biomolecular structure at the molecular level. This knowledge is leveraged to design lyophilized and space-compatible pharmaceutical systems that preserve therapeutic activity under microgravity and other extreme conditions.

Ultimately, our Astropharmacy research establishes a new paradigm of adaptive nanopharmaceutical systems, enabling stable and effective therapeutics for long-duration human space missions, while simultaneously providing fundamental insights applicable to terrestrial medicine, such as radiation therapy support, biologics stabilization, and regenerative pharmaceutical science.