In a groundbreaking development, the European Space Agency (ESA) Space Omics Topical Team has unveiled the final report and publication of 26 articles in the renowned scientific publishing house Cell Press. Among these remarkable contributions, five articles feature the University of Malta, affirming our organisation's role in advancing space omics research.

The Space Omics Topical Team, comprised of established scientists and researchers from across Europe, and that includes Prof. Joseph Borg from the Department of Applied Biomedical Science, Faculty of Health Sciences, has been engaged in an ambitious mission to unravel the mysteries of space biology. Their pioneering work focuses on the study of omics - genomics, proteomics, transcriptomics, and metabolomics - in the unique environment of space, aiming to gain invaluable insights into the effects of microgravity and cosmic radiation on living organisms.

These 26 articles, now available to the scientific community and the general public, shed light on a diverse range of topics related to space omics. The research spans from investigating the impact of space travel on human physiology and gene expression to understanding the behavior of microorganisms and the intricacies of plant biology under extraterrestrial conditions.

Among the significant contributions made by the University of Malta, one article delves into the effects of spaceflight and microgravity on diabetic foot ulcer microbiomes and the bacterias’ adaption and changes to space in an effort to understand microbial resistance to drugs and stressful conditions. The full list of published articles from Malta can be viewed here:

Manzano, A., Weging, S., Bezdan, D., Borg, J., Cahill, T., Carnero-Diaz, E., Cope, H., Deane, C.S., Etheridge, T., Giacomello, S., Hardiman, G., Leys, N., Madrigal, P., Mastroleo, F., Medina, F.J., Mieczkowski, J., Fernandez-Rojo, M.A., Siew, K., Szewczyk, N.J., Walsh, S.B., da Silveira, W.A., Herranz, R., Enhancing European capabilities for application of multi-omics studies in biology and biomedicine space research, iScience. (2023), doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/ j.isci.2023.107289.

Cope H, Willis CRG, MacKay MJ, Rutter LA, Toh LS, Williams PM, Herranz R, Borg J, Bezdan D, Giacomello S, Muratani M, Mason CE, Etheridge T, Szewczyk NJ. Routine omics collection is a golden opportunity for European human research in space and analog environments. Patterns (N Y). 2022 Jul 30;3(10):100550. doi: 10.1016/j.patter.2022.100550.

Deane CS; Space Omics Topical Team; da Silveira WA, Herranz R. Space omics research in Europe: Contributions, geographical distribution and ESA member state funding schemes. iScience. 2022 Feb 15;25(3):103920. doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.103920.

Overbey EG, Das S, Cope H, Madrigal P, Andrusivova Z, Frapard S, Klotz R, Bezdan D, Gupta A, Scott RT, Park J, Chirko D, Galazka JM, Costes SV, Mason CE, Herranz R, Szewczyk NJ, Borg J, Giacomello S. Challenges and considerations for single-cell and spatially resolved transcriptomics sample collection during spaceflight. Cell Rep Methods. 2022 Oct 31;2(11):100325. doi: 10.1016/j.crmeth.2022.100325.

Gatt C, Tierney BT, Madrigal P, Mason CE, Beheshti A, Telzerow A, Benes V, Zahra G, Bonett J, Cassar K, Borg J. The Maleth program: Malta's first space mission discoveries on the microbiome of diabetic foot ulcers. Heliyon. 2022 Dec 5;8(12):e12075. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e12075.

Moreover, following on from the NASA twins’ study there has been a tremendous interest in the use of omics techniques in spaceflight. The individual space agency’s, NASA’s GeneLab, JAXA´s ibSLS and ESA-funded Space Omics Topical Team and the International Standards for Space Omics Processing (ISSOP) group have now established several initiatives to support this growth. Jointly, the Space Omics Topical Team members promote standard application of space omics in Europe. They focused their final report on four main themes: i) continued participation in and co-ordination with international omics endeavours; ii) strengthening of the European space omics infrastructure including workforce and facilities; iii) capitalizing on the emerging opportunities in the commercial space sector, and iv) capitalizing on the emerging opportunities in human subjects research.

For more information or opportunities to work in the space omics sector, you may contact Prof. Joseph Borg by email.