Student-Driven Space Genetics Program Inducted into Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum Collection

• Flight-flown miniPCR® thermal cycler featured in new "At Home in Space" exhibition, highlighting student milestones in DNA amplification, cellular aging, and CRISPR gene editing in orbit.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — November 3, 2026 — Genes in Space™, an educational initiative challenging students to design DNA experiments for the International Space Station (ISS), announced today that a flight-proven miniPCR® thermal cycler has entered the permanent collection of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. The hardware is on public display in the museum’s new exhibition, At Home in Space, on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

Founded in 2015 by miniPCR bio™ and Boeing, alongside founding partners New England Biolabs® (NEB®) and the ISS National Laboratory,

Genes in Space was launched with a transformative premise: to open the scientific frontier of low Earth orbit to middle and high school students, including performing non-student technology demonstrations for space-based advancement of molecular biology. Over the past decade, more than 13,000 students have participated in the program, proposing experiments that leverage portable biotechnology to address the biological challenges of space exploration.

Prior to the program's inaugural flight, biological research in orbit was largely passive, requiring samples to be frozen, returned to Earth on cargo capsules, and analyzed months after splashdown. The miniPCR instrument on display at the Smithsonian completed genuine orbital flight missions, serving as the foundation for students to design and achieve a series of historical milestones in microgravity biology:

• First DNA Amplification in Space (2016): Inaugural winner Anna-Sophia Boguraev (age 16, New York) designed an investigation to test whether microgravity compromises astronaut immunity. On April 19, 2016, British astronaut Tim Peake operated the miniPCR aboard the station, successfully executing the first polymerase chain reaction (PCR) off-planet.
• First Molecular Diagnostic in Space (2017): High school student Julian Rubinfien (New York) pioneered a genetic assay using miniPCR to amplify and measure telomeres—the protective endcaps of chromosomes—providing scientists with a rapid diagnostic tool to explore the mechanisms behind accelerated cellular aging and degradation in astronauts.
• First CRISPR Gene Editing in Microgravity (2019): Designed by Minnesota high school students David Li, Michelle Sung, Aarthi Vijayakumar, and Rebecca Li, this investigation marked the first time CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing was performed in space, examining how living cells repair radiation-induced DNA double-strand breaks.
• Foundation for Operational Space Biology: Student validation flights directly demonstrated the viability of compact genetic tools in microgravity, helping pave the way for operational environmental monitoring and microbial identification protocols NASA researchers routinely use today to safeguard crew habitats.

To date, 13 student-designed investigations have flown aboard the space station, contributing to nine peer-reviewed scientific publications. In 2026, the program received a record 980 proposals from 1,317 students nationwide.

"What began as a challenge to demonstrate molecular biology in microgravity has grown into a program that empowers young scientists to ask questions at the very frontier of exploration," said Scott Copeland, co-founder of Genes in Space and Director of ISS Research Integration for Boeing. "By offering students real flights to orbit, we are not simply teaching science—we are actively inviting the next generation to build the tools and methods required to travel to the Moon, Mars, and beyond."

"Seeing this hardware inside a Smithsonian glass case alongside Apollo capsules and legendary spacecraft is an extraordinary milestone for the student research community," said Sebastian Kraves, co-founder of miniPCR bio and Genes in Space. "It stands as proof that you do not need a PhD or institutional authority to advance human knowledge. The scientific frontier belongs to anyone equipped with curiosity and the will to ask a new question."

The At Home in Space exhibition is open to the public at the National Air and Space Museum. For more information on the competition, past student investigations, and upcoming submission cycles, visit www.genesinspace.org.

About Genes in Space™

Genes in Space is an annual STEM competition that invites students in grades 7 through 12 to design pioneering DNA experiments that address real-world challenges in space exploration. Founded in 2015 by miniPCR bio and Boeing, with major sponsorship from New England Biolabs and the ISS National Laboratory, the program awards winning students the opportunity to have their experiments prepared, launched, and conducted by astronauts aboard the International Space Station.

Learn more at www.genesinspace.org.

Media contacts:

miniPCR bio: Kristin Hennessy-McDonald, genesinspace@minipcr.com, +1 (781) 990-8727

Boeing: Rosa Bañuelos, rosa.i.banuelos@boeing.com, +1 (321) 313-3134