Professor Cockell visits Kyiv Polytechnic to meet with researchers
Recently, a meeting with Prof Charles Cockell, a leading British scientist in the sphere of astrobiology and planetary sciences, was held at the Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute. His visit was arranged under the auspices of the Fund of the President of Ukraine for Education, Science, and Sports within the framework of the UK–UA Visiting Professors Programme.
Charles Cockell is professor of astrobiology in the School of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Edinburgh and co-director of the UK Centre for Astrobiology. His research group is interested in astrobiology and microbiology.
It is no casual interest in collaboration with Kyiv Polytechnic. The university is the only higher education institution in Ukraine with its own space programme, developing multifunctional spacecraft and boasting a good track record in projects carried out in conjunction with the State Space Agency of Ukraine.
During the meeting, its participants identified common scientific interests and the potential areas of cooperation, including:
- research into fungal cultures for waste processing and food production on space missions and at orbital stations;
- exploration of the radioprotective properties of fungi under conditions of space radiation;
- research into the effect of microgravitation on human cells, using the Kyiv Polytechnic CubeSat platform;
- development of academic mobility and exchanges within master’s degree programmes in astrobiology and biomedical engineering;
- preparation of joint international projects under the Horizon Europe programme.
Kyiv Polytechnic researchers presented a number of their own technological developments to the British colleague, including the 12U CubeSat platform, the results of research into biocompatible materials and the radioprotective properties of fungal cultures, as well as projects to create mycelium-based materials, which are seen as promising structural solutions for future space missions.
This meeting marked an important step forward in the development of international scientific cooperation, opening up new opportunities for joint research at the intersection of space technology, astrobiology and biomedical engineering.
