GiS-12 experiment performed on the ISS

On October 1, 2025, astronaut Michael Fincke performed the first of two scheduled runs of Julia Gross and Isabelle Chuang’s experiment, derived from their winning proposal to test the use of the BioBits ^Ⓡ cell-free system to synthesize bacteriophages in space and validate an assay to detect their ability to lyse bacteria, with the ultimate goal of using phage therapy to treat bacterial infections.

After winning the 2024 competition at the ISS Research and Development Conference in Boston, MA, Julia, Isabelle, and their mentor, Dr. Kayleigh Ingersoll Omdahl, worked with the Genes in Space team for over a year to develop and launch the winning payload in late August of 2025.

Michael was joined via satellite link by Dr. Ally Huang, who performed the ground controls for the experiment. “It’s one thing to work on the experiment at your lab bench on Earth. It’s another level to see that same experiment floating in space, being carried out by an astronaut!”