#02 Daniel Feldkamp - President of Yuri USA Inc.
๐๐๐๐๐ก๐ ๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐๐ง๐๐ฅ๐ข๐จ๐๐ - 3 questions. One perspective. Zero gravity.
Daniel connects space, biotech and business development, turning microgravity research into opportunities for US pharma and biotech companies.
๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐ญ | ๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐จ๐ฆ ๐ฏ๐ถ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ต ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฝ๐ต๐ฎ๐ฟ๐บ๐ฎ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ป๐ถ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฐ๐๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐น๐ ๐บ๐ผ๐๐ ๐ฐ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐ผ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ป ๐๐ผ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐น๐ธ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐บ ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐ ๐บ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ด๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐๐ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฐ๐ต?
"The first question is increasingly not โWhy would we go to space?โ but โWhat can microgravity tell us that our existing models canโt?โ Companies are particularly interested in 3D cell and tissue models, disease modelling and drug discovery, where altered gravity can reveal biological behaviour that is difficult to reproduce under normal laboratory conditions.
They also want to know how to get started: what can be tested on the ground first, what a meaningful experiment looks like, how much it costs and when it makes sense to move to spaceflight. That shift means weโre talking about an R&D pathway rather than simply a space mission."
๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐ฎ | ๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ต๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ป ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฒ-๐ฏ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฐ๐ต ๐๐ผ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ฎ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ป๐โ๐ ๐ป๐ผ๐ฟ๐บ๐ฎ๐น ๐ฅ&๐ ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ด๐ ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฎ ๐๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฎ๐น ๐ถ๐ป๐ป๐ผ๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ท๐ฒ๐ฐ๐?
"It has to become easier, more repeatable and more predictable. A scientist shouldnโt need to become a spaceflight expert just to investigate whether microgravity can add value to a research programme.
The key is a clear progression: validate the question on the ground, optimise the experiment, then move into space when the science justifies it. Cost, timelines and operational requirements also need to be predictable enough for R&D teams to plan microgravity work alongside other studies."
๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐ฏ | ๐ช๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฑ๐ผ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐ป๐ด๐ฒ๐๐ ๐ผ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐๐ป๐ถ๐๐ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฌ๐๐ฟ๐ถโ๐ ๐ฝ๐น๐ฎ๐๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐บ๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐จ๐ฆ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ป๐ฒ๐
๐ ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐?
"I think the strongest opportunity is in building that complete pathway from ground-based research through to flight. The US has an extraordinary concentration of biotech, pharma, universities and translational research organisations, but access to microgravity research still has too much friction.
Our RPM platforms offer a low-barrier way to begin investigating altered-gravity biology on the ground. From there, Yuriโs flight hardware and mission capabilities provide a route into real microgravity.
If we can make the journey from โCould microgravity help answer this question?โ to a well-designed ground experiment and ultimately a flight experiment much more straightforward, I think there is a very substantial opportunity in the US."
#BehindTheBreakthrough #Microgravity #SpaceBiotech #SpaceTech #LifeScience