NanoTemper Prometheus

NanoTemper Technologies specialises in an instrument to study protein solutions, and is collaborating in an International Space Station project to develop optical diagnostic techniques suitable for the development of reliable protein-based drugs.

Most liquids are in suspension. Particles too small to see by naked eye swirl everywhere as gravity and temperature changes move them around. Keeping liquids from separating can be a hassle for the foods we buy in the supermarket, but also for the pharmaceutical industry seeking to extend the shelf life of medicine as long as possible.

Separating liquid mixtures can also be used to get rid of pollutants, or to collect nutrients, like scooping a layer of cream off the top of milk. Understanding the nature of the mixing and de-mixing process in complex fluids is important for practical applications on Earth, as well as processing fluids in the absence of gravity as humankind explores the Solar System.

To understand the process in more detail, ESA has started the Technologies for Non-Equilibrium Systems (TechNES) project in collaboration with Germany-based NanoTemper Technologies.

An international research Team, coordinated by the University of Milan in Italy, will work with NanoTemper Technologies to investigate the behavior of complex fluids in space, with a focus on developing new technologies for pharmaceutical and biomedical fields.

Drugs based on proteins such as antibodies generally have higher specificity and are more efficient in curing disease with fewer side effects than conventional chemically-based drugs.

“Our collaboration with NanoTemper Technologies will allow us to transfer the advanced diagnostic tools developed for our fundamental research in space to applications of relevance in the healthcare industrial sector, with benefits for the society,” says Alberto Vailati from the University of Milan, coordinator of the TechNES international team.

To understand the process in more detail, ESA has started the Technologies for Non-Equilibrium Systems (TechNES) project in collaboration with Germany-based NanoTemper Technologies.

An international research Team, coordinated by the University of Milan in Italy, will work with NanoTemper Technologies to investigate the behavior of complex fluids in space, with a focus on developing new technologies for pharmaceutical and biomedical fields.