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Being the ‘first of its kind’ in many ways is for sure true for Project MALETH, launched to the ISS in August 2021. The first ever Maltese space experiment was accommodated inside our ICE Cubes Facility, marking the first chapter in what became a trilogy, advancing space research and creating new opportunities for the island nation.
The research, led by Prof. Joseph Borg of the University of Malta, aimed to expand current knowledge regarding the human skin microbiome by analysing diabetic foot ulcer samples using state-of-the-art molecular biology techniques. The microbial samples were co-cultured under both terrestrial (analog) and space-based conditions to compare the adaptive changes potentially taking place in this novel off-world environment. All samples were analysed in a multi-omics manner, so as to acquire maximum output with the resultant biological ‘big data’ sets.
This mission saw the first time launch of a new ‘Science Cube’, a modular experimental Cube developed by our service for both scientific and educational projects. The flight allowed also to assess the technology in a validation mission, paving the way for other novel and ambitious research to take place in the future. Maleth 1 set the stage for two subsequent missions, evolving into the Maleth trilogy — each building on the last to expand the scope of research and innovation.
Check out the links below and related articles to learn more about the research and investigation results.
Photo credits: ESA / NASA / SpaceOMIX / Univ. of Malta, Dept. of Pathology, Bacteriology Laboratory.
360 days
from very first contact until return of the samples to the lab
ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet and ICE Cubes Maleth I Science Cube onboard the International Space Station during his second mission “Alpha”. The experiment was followed by Maleth II and Maleth III (on the right).