Willi-Lab — (L to R) Dr. Jessica Willi, Roza Gabdullina, Valeria Angulo Villa. Payload — The prototype payload that was sent into the stratosphere. (Image Credit: University of Lethbridge)
By LNN Staff
STRATOS ICARUS 2026 campaign
Aug 28, 2026 | 3:49 PM
University of Lethbridge researchers are collaborating with the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) to prototype extraterrestrial biomanufacturing (ET-bio), a concept that supports human space exploration and could also benefit Canadians living in remote areas on Earth.
When humans eventually settle on the moon or Mars, ULethbridge officials ask, what medicines, biomaterials and vitamins will they need? And what if they can make those things on demand?
Officials say the ULethbridge Willi Lab, led by Dr. Jessica Willi (chemistry and biochemistry), was tasked with supplying biochemical reactions to the CSA for a recent launch that sent payloads into the stratosphere.
“Biochemical reactions can be freeze-dried, sent to space, and then programmed later to make anything encoded on DNA,” says Willi.