India is preparing to undertake its first-ever biological research aboard the International Space Station (ISS) to explore the viability of sustaining human life in space, Union Minister of Science and Technology Jitendra Singh announced on Thursday. Part of the BioE3 initiative, these pioneering experiments are led by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in collaboration with the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and will be conducted during the upcoming AXIOM-4 mission to the ISS. Indian astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla will be part of the mission crew.

Singh explained that the first experiment will focus on understanding how microgravity and space radiation affect the growth of edible microalgae—nutrient-dense organisms considered promising food sources for extended space missions. This collaborative project involving ISRO, NASA, and DBT will investigate various growth factors and molecular-level changes (including transcriptomes, proteomes, and metabolomes) in algal species when grown in space versus Earth-based conditions.

The findings aim to identify which microalgae are most suited for space environments. Their rapid growth—some species reproduce in as little as 26 hours—makes them ideal for producing biomass quickly. The second experiment will examine how cyanobacteria, specifically Spirulina and Synechococcus, grow and respond at the protein level when exposed to microgravity. These organisms will be tested using both urea- and nitrate-based nutrient media.

Singh emphasized the importance of recycling carbon and nitrogen from human waste during long-duration space travel to achieve sustainability in future space habitats. Cyanobacteria, known for their fast growth and effective photosynthesis, are seen as promising tools for such closed-loop life-support systems.

The study will also evaluate Spirulina as a potential "superfood" due to its high protein and vitamin content. It will compare how cyanobacteria grow in different nutrient conditions and assess how spaceflight impacts their metabolism. These experiments were developed in partnership with scientists from the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB) in New Delhi, as part of the broader ISRO-DBT research collaboration.