BEEP - Biology for human space exploration
V EDITION | ON SITE | APPLICATION
Deadline for Registration
24th May, 2027
Period
July 19th - 23rd, 2027
Learning objectives
The Seasonal School BEEP (Biology for Human Space Exploration) offers a unique opportunity to gain focused knowledge about the biological and physiological impacts of space travel on the human body and other living organisms, at the same time highlighting the opportunities if offers for protecting and improving human life on Earth.
Space exploration has provided experimental biologists with a new and unprecedented way to study life. However, it has also revealed that differences in fundamental environmental parameters compared to Earth must be understood in order to ensure the safety and feasibility of life and work in extraterrestrial environments. This need is increasingly urgent with the rise of commercial access to and exploitation of space, as major space agencies including the Italian Space Agency and the European Space Agency are planning human outposts in space with the support of industrial investments. The course also covers a range of topics, including Space Law and Life Cycle Assessment, to provide a comprehensive educational experience, and it emphasizes the collaborative nature of space exploration and its potential for inclusivity.
Teaching methodologies
Multidisciplinary seminars and lecturers from Academia as well as from space agency and industry will introduce the most critical biomedical challenges to human space exploration, in a lively, interactive environment. Topics include gravitational biology, with reference to molecular and cell biology for microgravity and hypergravity; physiology and chronobiology in extreme environments; ground simulations of microgravity; hybernation for long duration missions; a broad overview of life support systems: from robotics applied to telemedicine for remote medical interventions, to production of vegetable foods, fertilization of extraterrestrial soil, architectures for humans on celestial bodies. Elements of Space Law and research on Life Cycle Assessment will also be provided.
A site visit to Kayser Italia (Livorno) will end the course, with demonstration of hardware and software for biology and physiology experiments in space missions
Target participants
Undergraduate, postgraduate and PhD students from different backgrounds (e.g. biology, medicine, engineering) who are interested in understanding the key issues of biology and biomedicine in support of human space exploration.
Coordinator and key teaching staff
Coordinator: Debora Angeloni
Key teaching staff: Ivana Barravecchia, Valentina Colla, Matteo Dell’Acqua, Maria Gagliardi, Alberto Giannoni, Monia Niero, Calogero Oddo, Chiara Pucciariello, Donato Romano.
SDGs (https://sdgs.un.org/goals)
(3) Good Health and Well-being
(4) Quality Education
(9) Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
