Researchers have visited many places around the world in their never-ending search for medical breakthroughs, but this particular attempt to make an inventive discovery literally took them to another planet.
Varda Space Industries, a California startup, successfully launched a 200-pound (90-kilogram) capsule on June 12 to carry drug research into Earth orbit.
According to CNN journalist Katie Hunt, the experiment, conducted in microgravity by simple onboard devices, aims to establish whether it would be possible to carry out remote pharmaceutical manufacturing in space.
She claims that research shows that protein crystals grown in zero gravity can produce more perfect structures than those grown on Earth.
It may then be possible to use these alien crystals to create drugs with improved efficacy and absorption, the report states.
According to Hunt, Saturn’s moon Enceladus contains a crucial chemical component of life, phosphorus, found in the moon’s ice-crusted ocean.
This discovery is the first of its kind, as phosphorus is essential for DNA, RNA, cell membranes and ATP production, and is a breakthrough in the field of medicine.
Meanwhile, Dr. Frank Postberg, professor of planetary sciences at the Freie Universität Berlin, claims that phosphorus is needed for the production of DNA and RNA, cell membranes and ATP (the universal energy carrier in cells).
He said: “Life as we know it simply wouldn’t exist without phosphates.”
Hunt further defined the importance of research by citing various previous studies that made a revolutionary improvement in the field of science,
She said Antarctica’s cold, saltiest ocean waters absorb heat and carbon pollution, acting as a buffer against climate change.
However, according to the British Antarctic Survey, the vital water mass in the Weddell Sea is declining due to long-term changes in winds and sea ice, potentially impacting the climate crisis and deep ocean ecosystems.
She also talked about Lucy, a famous fossil discovered in 1974 in Ethiopia that helped Dr. Ashleigh LA Wiseman of the University of Cambridge reconstruct the ancestor’s muscles, allowing researchers to understand its size, shape and movement.
Similarly, recent discoveries in ancient Australian rocks reveal the early evolution of eukaryotes, the ancestors of plants, algae, fungi and animals.
The presence of protosteroid molecules indicates their adaptation to a world different from modern Earth, expanding our knowledge and understanding of our planet.