Latest news with #labgrown
Sky News
20-05-2025
- Science
- Sky News
What astronauts could end up eating in space after experiment 'meets objectives'
Feeding astronauts is astronomically expensive and as the idea of humans colonising the moon and Mars becomes increasingly realistic, there's a race to find better ways to feed them. It costs an estimated £20,000 a day to feed just one human in space, and that will only increase the further away we travel. The bulk of the cost comes from transportation - every extra gram of weight added to a rocket means more fuel burned and less space for money-making "payloads" or cargo. Fresh food is also unlikely to last a full trip to the International Space Station (ISS), let alone a trip to the moon's south pole or Mars. Instead, space agencies and scientists around the world are trying to work out how to make food where the astronauts are, instead of transporting it all from Earth. A team that recently launched a mini-laboratory into orbit to test, for the first time, if lab-grown food could be grown in space told Sky News its experiment "met the mission's objectives". "This is our first step towards... a future where we can produce food, materials, pharmaceuticals, chemicals and fuels needed for space exploration directly where and when it is needed," said one of the team's scientists, Dr Rodrigo Ledesma-Amaro from Imperial College, London. Their mission may lay the groundwork for cheaper and more varied food in space, as more of us blast off to the stars. Lab-grown steaks, Chinese food and more One option for feeding astronauts is "precision fermenting" food in space, which is what Dr Ledesma-Amaro's team are attempting. "Precision fermentation is how we make beer, how we make bread, how we make kimchi," he said. It's also how some vegetarian proteins like Quorn are made. "It's healthy [and] it can give us all the protein and micronutrients we need." An advantage of using microorganisms to grow food in space, where they'll face extreme conditions like microgravity, high radiation and potentially high temperatures, is their hardiness. "When we go to extreme environments like the top of the mountain or the bottom of the sea, the only organisms are the microorganisms," said Dr Ledesma-Amaro. "So they are the ones that can adapt better to this extreme environment." Fermenting microorganisms to create different foods doesn't mean everything will get the slightly sour, fermented taste of pickles or beer. Instead, scientists can make a fermented version of pretty much anything. "On Earth, there are companies producing milk proteins and making milk without cows, or maybe taking proteins and making steaks," said Dr Ledesma-Amaro. Aqeel Shamsul, chief executive of Frontier Space, said the huge variety of food they'll be able to make will also boost astronauts' morale. "You can get all the base ingredients for Chinese cuisine, for example, and then make the dish that you want," he said. "It's really important to be able to support the astronauts, but also for morale purposes." Growing fresh fruit and veggies Another option for feeding people in space is from traditional horticulture, with a twist. On the ISS, there is a small, experimental garden tended to by astronauts known as Veggie. Lettuce, cabbage, kale and flowers have all been grown in the garden, according to NASA, with the vegetables adding variety to the astronauts' diets. The Veggie garden is roughly the size of a carry-on bag and can hold six plants, which grow in a "pillow" filled with clay compost and fertiliser. The pillows help distribute water, nutrients and air around the roots. Without the pillows, the roots could drown or get mouldy, because in space, fluids tend to form bubbles. Freeze-dried fare Finally, there's the traditional packaged or freeze-dried fare astronauts currently eat in space. NASA astronauts, for example, can choose from a menu of freeze-dried food and drink powders as well as "cookies, candy, and other dried goods", according to the US space agency. Some astronauts even take their own bespoke creations with them, like Britain's Tim Peake, who took tins of luxury food like stewed apples and bacon sandwiches created by Heston Blumenthal to the ISS. But when humans fly further into space without access to resupply shipments, the vitamins in those packaged foods will break down over time, according to NASA. That could lead to deficiencies in astronauts' diets, which is why so many people are investigating new ways to make food in space.
Vogue Arabia
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Vogue Arabia
Jessica Kahawaty Launches Kahawaty Jewellery With Her Father, a Legacy Cut in the Making
The debut collection, Octagon, draws on geometry as metaphor: eight sides, a universal symbol of infinity, but also 'strong, grounded and solid,' she adds. It's a clean, graphic interpretation of timeless silhouettes: earrings, bracelets and pendants that favor structure over ornamentation. The five-piece edit features octagon-cut diamonds paired with sculptural chain links, modern pieces rooted in classic design. 'I envision it for the confident, contemporary woman who values both adaptability and longevity. You can stack the pieces for day-to-night, or strip it back and let one stand on its own,' she explains. 'It's not meant to be trendy, although it reads as very modern. We're not chasing fads or designing for seasonality. We're creating pieces that are timeless, made to last for generations,' she asserts. Her favourite? The mini octagon earrings, anchored by a one-carat diamond, floating halo and octagonal pavé setting. Minimalist, with maximal impact. 'I'm an earrings girl, what can I say,' she adds, beaming. The brand's stance on lab-grown diamonds is equally unapologetic. 'A lab-grown diamond didn't survive three billion years of tectonic pressure,' she says. 'So no, it doesn't hold the same weight, geologically or emotionally.' For the Kahawatys, jewellery goes beyond carats and clarity; it's about story, substance and legacy. A natural diamond is finite. 'There's an inheritance potential and lasting value,' she adds. 'For me, nature will always equate to prestige.' It's this kind of language–clear-eyed, precise, yet sentimental in its storytelling–that defines both Jessica and the brand. Even her earliest memory of jewellery is steeped in symbolism: her mother's velvet-lined jewellery case, carefully unfurled on the bed. 'It was a small ritual, but it felt like unlocking a world of wonder, beautiful pieces my father designed for her,' she recalls. It's a sentiment most women can relate to, the quiet awe of watching their mothers get ready, the glamorous apex of adulthood. The difference in Kahawaty's case is that she's able to continue that narrative as part of her own journey. The boutique, nestled discreetly in Jumeirah 1, reflects the brand's ethos of intimacy and authenticity. Eschewing the grandiosity of typical luxury maisons, the space is understated, deliberate in its simplicity. The experience here is personal and consultative: clients browse loose gemstones, sketch their own engagement rings and engage directly with the team. It's about more than just purchasing; it's about crafting a story, imbuing each piece with personal meaning, just as she witnessed growing up. 'Dubai is often seen as a city of display,' she says, 'but I think that's changing. People are becoming more attuned to quiet codes. To provenance. To things that hold their value, not just in price, but in meaning.' She smiles. 'We're in a way, an antidote to the noise.' In a city that so often confuses visibility with value, perhaps that's the most luxurious thing of all. Kahawaty Jewels is located at The Court Residence, Shop 6, Ground Floor, 10 b 39B street Jumeirah 1, Dubai. Boutique will be opening on May 12th, 2025.
