Understanding crystal growth and design can inform the entire drug development and design process as pharmaceutical companies look to deliver new, optimized treatments to help patients on Earth. Previous spaceflight investigations indicate that growing crystals in space could yield a more uniform product with fewer imperfections, which can improve the drug discovery and development process.
The Redwire Pharmaceutical In-space Laboratory (PIL) provides services to pharmaceutical and institutional researchers seeking to generate new forms and formulations of the crystalline state to new and existing products using the microgravity environment. There are different configurations of the PIL-BOX crystal generating system: PIL-BOX FC, PIL-BOX DMC, and PIL-BOX SMALS.
PIL-BOX will be launching for the first time on upcoming commercial resupply missions to the International Space Station. Eli Lilly and Company will be partnering with Redwire to conduct critical testing during the technology’s initial flight missions.
PIL-BOX FC
The PIL-BOX (Fluidics Cassette) FC is an automated system capable of supporting crystallization processes that require the manipulation, combination, and mixing of fluids. The PIL-BOX FC contains a multi-fluid loop system that utilizes bags, pumps, and valves to control fluid handling operations. The fluidics design is highly configurable for research scale volumes to scaled up, batch style production. This PIL-BOX can be used to create new crystal shapes of large molecule drugs for the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. It also applications in the food and beverage and cosmetics industries.
PIL-BOX DMC
PIL-BOX (Dynamic Microscopy Cassette) DMC is capable of real-time observation of crystal growth in multiple automated mixing experiments. This allows for real-time hardware performance optimization, the identification of causal relationships and crystal growth processes, and the immediate evaluation of the success of the growth process for fast iterations. This PIL-BOX can be used to create new crystal shapes of large molecule drugs for the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries while visualizing the process. It also applications in the food and beverage industries as well as cosmetics.
PIL-BOX SMALS
Redwire’s Pharmaceutical In-space Laboratory –Bio-crystal Optimization Xperiments Small Molecule Accelerated Laboratory for Structure (PIL-BOX SMALS) can be used to create new crystal shapes of small molecule drugs for the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. It also applications in the food and beverage industries, agriculture and cosmetics industries. PIL-BOX SMALS allows for real-time process optimization, identification of causal relationships, in situ mechanistic evaluations and the immediate assessment of the success of the synthesis process. This provides researchers with empirical data they can immediately compare with data derived from ground experiments.
Redwire is looking to increase production of critical technologies like PIL-BOX for human spaceflight missions and commercial microgravity research and development in LEO, and it recently announced its plan to open a 30,000 square foot microgravity payload development facility and mission operations center in Floyd County, Indiana. Learn more here.
