Nanomaterials, space economy and health: the SMARTS project

The University of Sassari and the ViroStatics company have achieved important results with the SMARTS project financed with the cascade calls promoted within the e. INS innovation ecosystem supported by the PNRR in the context of the spoke 05 Aerospace Science and Technology coordinated by the Aerospace District of Sardinia (DASS): from Sardinia a supply chain that combines space, health and advanced materials.

An all-Sardinian alliance - the biotech company ViroStatics and the University of Sassari with the management support of DASS - has successfully completed the SMARTS research project, developing and validating antioxidant nanomaterials capable of protecting cells from oxidative stress induced by radiation and microgravity, the extreme conditions of confined space environments such as orbiting stations and future planetary bases. The project, financed by the PNRR as part of the spoke 05 Aerospace Science and Technology which is part of the e. INS (Ecosystem of Innovation for Next generation Sardinia) innovation ecosystem, demonstrates how frontier research is being carried out on the island with applications that embrace themes such as space and human health.

From synthesis to validation in space conditions

The SMARTS project covered the entire research and development chain: from the design and synthesis of different classes of carbon-based nanomaterials, to their physico-chemical characterization, up to the in vitro biological tests that confirmed their antioxidant activity and a favorable safety profile. The most significant result is the validation of the effectiveness of these nanomaterials in conditions that simulate the space environment - oxidative stress and microgravity reproduced in the laboratory using a clinostat - with a measurable protective effect on cellular models. Functionalized prototypes were also created and tested, confirming the applicability of the technology both in the formulation of paints and in the fabrics of astronaut suits, which determine interesting applications not only for future space missions as well as within the orbiting station but also on Earth. All objectives of the work plan have been achieved.

A result born and raised in Sardinia

The project was born and took place entirely on the island, enhancing skills and highly qualified human capital and strengthening the innovation ecosystem promoted in the e. INS context coordinated by the University of Sassari. The results confirm that the island can be a credible hub of the space economy - one of the fastest growing sectors in Europe - with an emerging supply chain that unites businesses, universities and the aerospace world and that has all it takes to transform research into products, patents and qualified employment, retaining talent and value on the island. The partners are now looking at industrial scale-up, the protection of intellectual property and new national and European collaborations, to give continuity to a path that has already proven its value.

The statements

Dr. Franco Lori, ViroStatics — «SMARTS demonstrates that the Sardinia Region can compete on the frontier of nanomaterials for space and health. We achieved all objectives and validated the technology in simulated space conditions: materials that protect cells from oxidative stress induced by radiation and microgravity. It is proof that research also in the entrepreneurial field produces international-level results on the island."

Prof. Plinio Innocenzi, University of Sassari — «This project was born from the meeting between materials science and biotechnology and grew within the e. INS ecosystem. It is exactly the model we want: knowledge generated in laboratories that materializes in validated technology and prototypes, with concrete consequences. Sardinia has the skills and infrastructure to be a protagonist in the science of materials for space."

Prof. Giacomo Cao, President of DASS and scientific coordinator of the Spoke 05 Aerospace Science and Technology of the e. INS ecosystem — «It was a great honor to carry out this double role of coordinating the scientific activities of the spoke and contributing to its management through the district. The space economy is one of the great opportunities of the present as well as the future and Sardinia starts from an advantageous position: infrastructure, research and companies that already work together. The SMARTS project adds a precious piece — advanced materials for health and safety in space — and demonstrates once again that the island has a high added value aerospace supply chain, capable of attracting talent and investments."