The International Space Station National Laboratory announced in a press release that LambdaVision, a biotechnology startup, is harnessing the unique space environment to manufacture artificial retinas that could one day restore vision to people blinded by macular degeneration.
LambdaVision developed an artificial retina made from hundreds of layers of a light‑activated protein. On Earth, gravity‑driven forces such as sedimentation and buoyancy can cause uneven layers, leading to significant material waste and limiting scalability. To overcome this barrier, the company has taken its manufacturing to space.
Over the past decade, LambdaVision has conducted 9 investigations on the International Space Station (ISS). Working with ISS National Laboratory Commercial Service Provider Space Tango, the team developed a compact, automated production system that operates inside Space Tango's CubeLab hardware on the space station.
According to ISS National Laboratory, the research sponsor for the project, artificial retinas produced in microgravity show markedly improved uniformity, optical performance, and reproducibility compared to those made on Earth. They also show enhanced stability and biocompatibility while using less raw material. Additionally, ISS testing allowed the team to refine automation, fault detection, and quality control—key steps toward meeting regulatory requirements.
"Through our flight projects on the ISS, we've taken a lot of the risk out of demonstrating the value of manufacturing in space," said LambdaVision CEO Nicole Wagner in an article in Upward, the official magazine of the ISS National Lab.
LambdaVision said it ultimately aims to restore sight to patients with age‑related macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa, conditions that currently have no cure.
LambdaVision's next ISS investigation is scheduled to launch later this year, focusing on increasing production volume and further optimizing the manufacturing process. The company has also announced plans to leverage future commercial space stations, including Starlab and Vast's Haven, to continue in‑space manufacturing following retirement of the ISS, the press release stated.
"We're now thinking about how we scale in orbit and what's next as we transition from the ISS to other platforms in the future," Wagner told Upward. OM