Ireland–Scotland space science meeting

An Ireland–Scotland space science meeting, supported by UCD C-Space and Irish Space Medicine, was held at University College Dublin in June 2025 to highlight collaborative opportunities in the space life sciences.

Dr Katherine Baxter (University of Glasgow), coordinator of UK SpaceLabs and lead of the GeneLab biofilms sub-AWG, presented on fungal–bacterial biofilm formation in microgravity.

The meeting also explored the future roles of Irish scientists in Open Science and the space life sciences, including COSMIC-Net, led by Dr Baxter and (opens in a new window)Dr Nick Brereton (UCD School of Biological and Environmental Sciences), which aims to connect microbiologists across Ireland and Scotland for space research.

The new EU SEREN (Space life sciences European Research Network) was also presented, which will focus on translational One Health approaches in space life science research. The meeting marked a key step in strengthening cross-border collaboration in this emerging field.