SERVICE｜Kirara

Innovation of utilizing microgravity environment in space

Support your drug discovery and research in space.
Also used for purposes other than protein crystallization.

Kirara service is to support drug discovery through high-quality protein crystallization in space with our original small incubator unit in ICE Cubes Facility in the International Space Station.

Under the microgravity environment of the ISS, large and/or high-quality crystals are expected to be produced compared with ground environment since gravity-driven convection and sedimentation are suppressed.

New utilization in space environment

High-quality protein crystal
Large crystals for neutron analysis
Enzymatic synthesis of cellulose,
which was achieved
by Kirara first time in the world
COVID-19 Drug Discovery Research

See examples

Kirara news

2025.09.24

JAMSS Hosts 3rd Space Science Lab: Japanese Students Conduct ISS Protein Crystal Experiments and Present Results
2025.08.19

Kirara: In Space Production — Call for Samples for Mission #7
2025.06.23

Kirara-6 Mission Successfully Completed
2025.05.27

“Kirara” Safely Returns from the ISS
2025.04.25

Kirara-6 Successfully Launched to the International Space Station (ISS)

Archives of Kirara news

Kirara missions

Kirara #3	Kirara will be launched to the ISS in December 2021
Kirara #2	Launched space manufacturing “Kirara” on the International Space Station (ISS)
Kirara #1	The first space manufacturing demonstration model of “Kirara” was launched on the International Space Station (ISS)

Kirara movie

Service Flow

One-Stop Service of crystallization in space.
Launched within 4 month after application.

Schedule	Task	By	Action
4 months before launch	Application	Customer	Submission of application data sheet
	Safety check	JAMSS	Evaluate the safety of protein samples, reagents etc.
	Contract	Customer	Agreement of the contract
3 months before launch	Sample delivery	Customer	Delivery of protein samples and reagents with Datasheet for optimization
2 months before launch	Mission prep	JAMSS	Optimization of on-orbit crystallization conditions etc.

Launch to the ISS, Crystallization onboard

1 month after launch	Return	JAMSS	Return of samples from the ISS
1 month after return	Delivery	Customer	Return samples to users. Submission of Datasheet for freezing crystals or X-ray diffraction when necessary

Application form including date sheets of sample(s)
Note that one Excel file contains several data sheets to be submitted per the service flow above.

Downloads

Data Sheets

Application sheet/Datasheet for optimization/Datasheet for freezing crystals or X-ray diffraction

Technical
Document

Kirara Application Guidelines

High-quality protein crystal production service Usage guidance

Download the guidelines

Guideline for
sample transportation

Download
Sample handling
after return from space

Download

Schedule

Kirara #7	Mission will be launched after June 2026.

Examples

High-quality protein crystals obtained in space.

Improvement in the resolution of the crystal grown in space was observed in Kirara #1 mission conducted in December 2019.
Please see "Technical Document" for details.

Growing large crystals for neutron diffraction

The research team lead by Ms. Sora Yamaguchi, Dr. Naoki Sunagawa and Professor Kiyohiko Igarashi from the Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, the University of Tokyo, obtained large-scale crystals of PcCel6A mutant under microgravity in space using a large bore quartz capillary developed by our partner Confocal Science Inc.
Please see "Technical Document" for details.

Crystal of the PcCel6A mutant obtained in Kirara

Reference: "Preparation of Large-Volume Crystal of Cellulase Under Microgravity to Investigate the Mechanism of Thermal Stabilization" Sora YAMAGUCHI, Naoki SUNAGAWA, Kaori MATSUYAMA, Mikako TACHIOKA, Erika HIROTA, Sachiko TAKAHASHI, Kiyohiko IGARASHI., Int. J. Microgravity Sci.Appl. 38(1) 380103 (2021)

First cellulose synthesis by enzyme in space
for the first time in the world

The research team lead by Mr. Yudai Kuga, Dr. Naoki Sunagawa and Professor Kiyohiko Igarashi from the Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, the University of Tokyo, synthesized cellulose enzymatically under the microgravity environment of space for the first time in the world.

Cellulose enzymatically synthesized on the ground is heterogeneously synthesized

Cellulose enzymatically synthesized in microgravity is uniformly synthesized

Reference: "Enzymatic synthesis of cellulose in space: gravity is a crucial factor for building cellulose II gel structure" Tomohiro Kuga, Naoki Sunagawa, Kiyohiko Igarashi., Cellulose, 29 January 2022

COVID-19 Drug Discovery Research

InnoStudio launched their samples of remdesivir-SBECD to the ISS in Kirara#2. It was the first space experiment for COVID-19 drug discovery research in the world by the investigation of JAMSS and InnoStudio.
This mission was also featured on the ESA website
https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/COVID-19_drug_research_and_bio-mining_launching_to_Space_Station

For Education/Promotion

Kirara is also available for educational and promotional projects.
Kirara can be used in STEAM program using the ISS, “Kirara Science Program.” Kirara offers an extremely rare experience for students to be familiar with the space and science. They can do "real" space experiment to grow protein crystals in space.
If Kirara open slot is available and it fits in the slot, Kirara brings your item to space. They cannot be for pure commercial purposes but can be used for SDGs and STEAM activities. Kirara also offers label space on surface and accommodates SD cards inside the Cube. They were used for SDGs activity by school children.

*STEAM education is the educational method that combines science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics.