In the world-first experiment, researchers will test if BNC can be produced using a co-culture of bacteria and microalgae, powered by sunlight rather than traditional sugar-fed fermentation. Because microalgae generate the nutrients needed for BNC formation using only light and carbon dioxide, the process offers a more sustainable way to create versatile biomaterials in resource-limited environments such as space.

Bioeconomy Science Institute senior scientist Dr David Hooks, who is leading the two-year research project, says ground-based testing recently got underway following the development of two low-gravity simulators.

“After months of constructing and configuring the systems, it's exciting to have ground-based testing underway. It brings us a step closer to launch and puts this project firmly on the countdown to space,” says Dr Hooks.

The simulators, formally known as HARV (High Aspect Ratio Vessel) bioreactors, are a rotating-wall vessel that mimic microgravity by keeping the contents in a continuous state of gentle free-fall.

“They’re only small – about the size of a kitchen appliance – and rotate a bit like a front load washing machine,” says Dr Hooks.

“That constant, gentle rotation keeps the growing cells, which are self-contained in a petri-type dish, suspended as if it were in orbit.”

Dr Hooks says producing BNC in low-gravity conditions may reveal new possibilities for manufacturing next-generation materials that are difficult, or even impossible, to produce under normal gravity.

“Microgravity may enhance BNC’s properties even further, enabling ultra‑lightweight composites, biomedical implants, and advanced filtration materials. These innovations could benefit industries ranging from health and biotechnology to aerospace, automotive, and marine.

“Understanding how BNC grows in microgravity could also help shape future off-planet manufacturing – a field that’s becoming critical for long-duration space missions and sustainable space habitation.”