Nikon Contributes to Research on the Effects of Microgravity in Drug Discovery
TOKYO, April 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Nikon Corporation (Nikon) is pleased to announce that the live cell observation system developed by Nikon and its U.S.-based subsidiary Nikon Instruments Inc. (NII) has been selected for "research on the effects of microgravity in life sciences and drug discovery" on board the International Space Station (ISS), supported by the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS), manager of the ISS National Laboratory. The U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Northrop Grumman Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) 24 mission is set to launch to the space station from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida in early April 2026. On this mission, foundational operational verification will be conducted for an observational microscope system used to culture, maintain, and observe live cells and tissues.
Since the Apollo 15 mission in 1971, Nikon cameras and lenses have been used in various NASA missions and space shuttle explorations. Most recently, the Nikon Z9, the flagship model of Nikon's mirrorless camera lineup, is in use on the ISS. This high reliability and technological capability have also been demonstrated in the field of microscopy, where Nikon has a proven track record of providing microscopes for use on the ISS. In 2021, the company was selected for an ISS development support project for private companies, supported by CASIS with U.S. government grant funding. This research focuses on developing equipment that enables long-term visual analysis of cell behavior and biological tissue responses to pharmaceuticals in the limited space of the ISS experiment module. The contract for this project has been concluded between NASA and NII, with NII responsible for project management and Nikon and NII jointly responsible for development of the live cell observation system.
On the ISS, observations using MPS* will be conducted via the Nikon Experimentation Microscope in Orbit (NEMO), a system combining Nikon's live cell observation system which can observe and evaluate the behavior of cells and biological tissues with high precision, and a cell culture incubator and automated media perfusion system developed by BioServe Space Technologies (BioServe) in Boulder, Colorado, U.S. BioServe's system maintains an optimal environment for cells, while Nikon's live cell observation system serves as the microscope, enabling high-precision evaluation and analysis of the effects of microgravity on living organisms through observation of cell behavior and biological tissue responses in space.
Understanding the effects of gravity on biological tissues is an important area of research for accelerating human extraterrestrial activities, and is expected to potentially lead to elucidating the causes of aging phenomena and diseases in living organisms. For this reason, it is attracting attention from global life science companies, including pharmaceutical companies and biotechnology firms aiming to develop pharmaceuticals, as cutting-edge research.
Through this project, Nikon will leverage the technical advantages and insights gained to serve as a bridge connecting space and Earth, continuing to contribute to life science research and technological innovation.
*Microphysiological Systems: 3D culture systems that create an environment mimicking conditions inside living organisms. |
Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/833995/Nikon_Instruments_Logo.jpg
Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2950892/Nikon_NEMO_Mission.jpg
View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/live-cell-observation-system-selected-for-nasa-supported-project-heading-to-the-international-space-station-302735836.html
Die österreichische Marinomed Biotech AG hat ihre angekündigte Barkapitalerhöhung erfolgreich abgeschlossen und damit ihre kurzfristige Finanzierung gesichert. Insgesamt platzierte das in Korneuburg ansässige Unternehmen 159.039 neue Aktien und erzielte einen Bruttoemissionserlös von rund 2,23 Millionen Euro. Das ursprünglich kommunizierte Ziel von mindestens 2 Millionen Euro wurde damit übertroffen.
Von den neuen Papieren wurden 33.322 Aktien im Rahmen eines Bezugsangebots von bestehenden Aktionären über Bezugsrechte gezeichnet. Die nicht bezogenen Aktien platzierte Marinomed anschließend in einer prospektfreien Privatplatzierung bei Investoren zu einem Bezugspreis von 14 Euro je Aktie. Auf diesem Weg konnten weitere 125.717 Aktien am Markt untergebracht werden.
CEO Andreas Grassauer wertete den Platzierungserfolg als Vertrauensbeweis der Investoren. Die Kapitalmaßnahme sichere die finanzielle Grundlage, um die geplanten Meilensteine zu erreichen, und decke den erwarteten Liquiditätsbedarf, sagte er laut Unternehmensmitteilung. Zugleich stärke die zusätzliche Eigenkapitalbasis die Position des Biotech-Unternehmens in den laufenden Verhandlungen zur Vermarktung der Leitprodukte Budesolv und Tacrosolv.
Die neuen Aktien werden unter der bestehenden ISIN ATMARINOMED6 an der Wiener Börse gehandelt. Am Sekundärmarkt reagierte die Aktie positiv auf die Nachrichtenlage: Zum Zeitpunkt der Meldung wurde das Papier auf der Handelsplattform Lang & Schwarz mit einem Plus von 4,62 % bei 13,60 Euro taxiert.
