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13 NEWS maltatoday | SUNDAY • 18 DECEMBER 2022 still mitigating the effects of space to not become anemic would be a huge milestone with benefits to both space-for- space applications and space- for-earth applications. Borg will conducting his re- search in collaboration with Professor Guy Trudel at Cana- da's Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (OHRI). Trudel is a renowned profes- sor and scientist who already worked extensively on space anaemia before. The collabora- tion will ensure that scientists from the University of Malta led by Borg, together with his team and those that present in Canada, will get to coordinate all experiments, the design and planning of all laboratory work conducted in Canada and in Malta. "We have already run mock trials and testing between Can- ada and Malta, and we are now ready for the real mission when it happens," Borg said. He said that the focus of the research will be very specif- ically on haemoglobin pro- filing and different fractions observed (foetal vs. adult hae- moglobin ). "There will also be advanced tools to separate blood cells in- to their respective type, wheth- er it is white blood cells, red blood cells and other special- ised cells that we find in blood," he explained. These will then be tested and compared with each other, noting the different time and altitude points encountered in the study: blood before launch, blood during orbital spaceflight (over five to six days) and blood upon return back to Earth. Borg said that this research has a strong basic and funda- mental science aspect to it, one that looks at the regulation, control and development of red blood cells, their adaptation and behaviour under different micro environments and their genomic differences. "The lessons we learn can be applied to a range of other blood disorders that may in- clude cancer such as leukae- mia and Myelodysplastic syn- dromes," he said. The Polaris Dawn mission it- self is conducting over 20 dif- ferent experiments related to life and medical sciences in space. Pleiades is one of them. Space vs earth research Research in space is as vast as the very definition of space itself. It can be chemical, phys- ical or biological, comput- er science, engineering, and mathematical. The possibilities of space research are endless, Borg said. "I focus on health and biosci- ence in space, since my last 12 years as an academic were cen- tred around human genetics and DNA science of life," he ex- plained. "I believe I can utilise space as a good medium and a tool to further my ambitious goals in understanding life as we know it, together with at- tempting to understand when disease and illness develop." Space has that useful aspect, in amplifying any errors, prob- lems and mechanistic observa- tions that we also see here on Earth. Amplifying signals, will allow the research teams to reach answers faster and there- fore develop treatments, and products faster. Borg believes this research is a giant leap for life science research in the modern and post-genomic era. "We can attain data, results, like never before to better the health and life of those who are inflicted with anaemia for a life-time," he said. "Moreo- ver, the implications can have far-reaching effects (no pun intended) to other countries abroad who too wish to tackle and control blood disorders as discussed." Borg said that that at least four other orbital space sta- tions are being built and com- missioned to become active this very decade. Having Malta participate in this type of research, and hav- ing also the very first company in Malta, Spaceomix Ltd. which has been created purposely to leverage the space assets for research, development and in- novation is a small step in an upward trajectory. "However it will matter a lot how serious the intentions and designs of space programme like Maleth and Pleiades are for our country," Borg said. "I am convinced that other local players will rise up to the occasion, and also sent mis- sions, payloads, and even de- velop programs to capitalise on what space research has to offer." What next? Borg says he is now laser-fo- cused on concluding the Maleth III mission in space and bringing the programme to completion here on Earth. Those experiments also form part of an ongoing PhD project for Christine Gatt, who is stud- ying under Borg. In parallel, Borg's research team is geared to commence Pleiades first mis- sion early next year and he is extremely excited to what this may mean for their broader col- laboration and partnership with companies and agencies such as SpaceX, ESA and NASA. "We are already a group of four people working in various analysis working groups at NA- SA's Gene Lab, with data from Maleth missions already de- posited and available as part of open science research," he said. Borg – and his team – be- lieve that sharing of data and knowledge will help researches in solve some, if not all, of the world's health problems and is- sues. "And the faster other people realise that, the better," he said. "We may live for a lifetime, but that lifetime is finite and it matters a lot what is done in between start and the finish." pcocks@mediatoday.com.mt Resolving anaemia, or better still mitigating the effects of space to not become anemic would be a huge milestone with benefits to both space-for-space applications and space-for-earth applications