What is hidden in the universe? People have been trying to find the answer to this question for more than 100,000 years. From counting stars, watching the sky, to landing a man on the Moon, this exploration has never ceased.

We are experiencing an increasingly rapid development of the space industry. The possibility of building a base on the Moon or a colony on Mars no longer seems like science fiction but is seen as a prospect in the coming few decades. But to achieve this, innovative technologies that will enable people to live fully, freely, and for an extended period of time outside of Earth shall be mastered.

Participants of the session “Our Dream Space” at the Congress of Young Scientists talked about the potential for advancement in this field. Sergey Ivanov, Executive Director at EFKO, shared the company’s plans for joint research with the Federal Research Center for Nutrition and Biotechnology on creating technology that will supply food for future space communities.

Sergey Ivanov
EFKO Executive Director

"The capitalism model’s primary motivator, competition, and the idea that "the strong has the right to destroy the weak" have caused society to become divided, stratified, and atomized. The universe seems to be offering us a chance to reminisce about what it means to be human. A competitive model is impossible in space. To survive on Mars or the Moon, you have to learn to live together.

And while on Earth the use of biotechnology, in particular precision fermentation, occasionally causes skepticism: “What for?”, in space, microorganisms present a genuine chance to address the food issue. You only need to provide a nutrient medium and a petri dish. There is plenty of water there. Yeast will produce proteins and fats, replacing both animal and crop production in a single bioreactor."