Genes in Space
Genes in Space is an annual U.S. STEM competition for grades 7-12 students to design DNA experiments executed aboard the International Space Station, operated by Amplyus LLC (miniPCR bio) with Boeing as primary founding partner and additional sponsors including the ISS National Laboratory and New England Biolabs.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersCambridge, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Genes in Space does
Genes in Space is an annual U.S. STEM competition, founded in 2015, that invites students in grades 7-12 to design DNA and biotechnology experiments for execution aboard the International Space Station. The program is operated by Amplyus LLC (DBA miniPCR bio) in partnership with The Boeing Company (NASA's ISS prime contractor), with additional sponsorship from the ISS National Laboratory, New England Biolabs, Math for America, and the BioBuilder Foundation. Students submit proposals individually or in two-person teams with an adult sponsor between January and April each year; finalists are mentored by scientists from Harvard, MIT, and partner institutions, judged at the ISS Research & Development Conference, and winners attend Space Biology Camp and watch their experiments launch from Kennedy Space Center.
The technical core is space-tested miniPCR biotechnology hardware and methodologies pioneered through ten years of student missions. Platforms include the miniPCR thermal cycler (used for the first DNA amplification in space in 2016), the P51 Fluorescence Viewer for visualizing fluorescent biomolecules, the BioBits cell-free system for cell-free protein synthesis (first validated aboard the ISS in 2022), NASBA coupled with fluorescent molecular beacons for rapid RNA detection, and CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing (first student-designed use in space in 2019). The program has completed 12+ missions producing peer-reviewed publications in NPJ Microgravity, FASEB BioAdvances, PLOS One, ACS Synthetic Biology, and Gravitational and Space Research. Supporting educational products are the Lab in a Box equipment-loaner program (200+ sets shipped as of October 2024), an educational video library, full-day educator workshops, and the Genes in Space Toolkit.
The business model is sponsorship-funded rather than revenue-generating. The competition is free to enter, Lab in a Box loans are provided at no charge, and educator workshops are free or minimal-cost — Boeing serves as the primary founding partner providing ISS flight integration and sustaining operations, with secondary funding from the ISS National Laboratory, New England Biolabs, Math for America, and BioBuilder. The customer base is a long tail of U.S. students and educators, with a parallel UAE edition in partnership with the UAE Space Agency. The COPPA-compliant program requires adult sponsors for participants under 13 and operates across the United States and U.S. territories.
Genes in Space firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Genes in Space
- Legal name
- Amplyus LLC
- Website
- https://genesinspace.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Genes in Space is an annual U.S. STEM competition for grades 7-12 students to design DNA experiments executed aboard the International Space Station, operated by Amplyus LLC (miniPCR bio) with Boeing as primary founding partner and additional sponsors including the ISS National Laboratory and New England Biolabs.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Genes in Space industry classification
Industry- Product category
- STEM Education Programs
- NAICS
- Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714), Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology) (541715), Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (54171)
- SIC
- Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Space & Astronomy Programs (EDAMABAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Biology & Life Science Enrichment (Biotech, Genetics, Anatomy) (EDAMABAF), Hands-on Science Exploration & Experiments (Lab Kits, Science Clubs) (EDAMABAA)
Keywords
Where Genes in Space is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Cambridge
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Genes in Space business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Supply Chain, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Competition Program Funding: Genes in Space is funded through corporate sponsorships and partnerships rather than direct revenue. Boeing serves as the primary founding partner, providing research integration and ISS operations support. Additional funding comes from ISS National Laboratory, New England Biolabs, and other sponsors.
- Educational Program Services: The Lab in a Box program loans biotechnology equipment to educators at no cost, supported by sponsor donations. Educational workshops are provided free or at minimal cost to teachers.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Annual | Free student competition with full support |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
Genes in Space product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Genes in Space is an annual STEM competition that invites U.S. students in grades 7-12 to design original DNA analysis and biotechnology experiments to be conducted aboard the International Space Station. The program is administered by Amplyus LLC (d/b/a miniPCR bio) in partnership with Boeing and supported by the ISS National Laboratory and New England Biolabs. Supporting offerings include the Lab in a Box equipment loaner program, the Genes in Space Toolkit (miniPCR thermal cycler, P51 Fluorescence Viewer, BioBits cell-free system), educator workshops, and an educational video library.
Product overview
Genes in Space is a STEM competition program rather than a traditional software product. The core offering is an annual competition where students design DNA/biotechnology experiments for the ISS. Supporting products include the Lab in a Box equipment loaner program, the Genes in Space Toolkit (featuring the P51 Fluorescence Viewer and BioBits cell-free system), educational videos, and educator professional development workshops. The program uses miniPCR DNA analysis technology developed by founding partner miniPCR bio.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Genes in Space Toolkit: Biotechnology tools including miniPCR thermal cycler, P51 fluorescence viewer, and BioBits cell-free system available for student experiments
- Lab in a Box
- John Hatch Memorial Prize in Mentorship
Products and services
- Genes in Space Competition A national STEM competition challenging students in grades 7-12 to design DNA analysis experiments for the International Space Station. Winning experiments are performed by astronauts aboard the ISS and provide students with hands-on space biology research experience.
- Lab in a Box Program An equipment loaner program providing classrooms with miniPCR DNA Discovery Systems and related biotechnology equipment for hands-on laboratory experiences aligned with the Genes in Space curriculum.
- Educator Workshops Full-day hands-on professional development workshops for educators teaching biotechnology and space science, covering PCR, gel electrophoresis, and contest curriculum integration.
- Genes in Space Toolkit A collection of space-tested biotechnology tools including the P51 Fluorescence Viewer for visualizing biomolecules and the BioBits cell-free system for synthetic biology experiments aboard the ISS.
- Educational Video Library Video library covering DNA analysis techniques (PCR, DNA gel electrophoresis, DNA sequencing), current space biology research from NASA scientists, and presentations from past Genes in Space finalists and winners.
Quantifiable outcome
- 12+ peer-reviewed scientific publications from student experiments
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Genes in Space
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Genes in Space technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Genes in Space partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, major, regional and minor.
- BoeingcoreCo-founder of Genes in Space with miniPCR bio. Boeing serves as NASA's prime contractor for the International Space Station and provides research integration, sustaining operations and maintenance for station utilization. Primary partner enabling student experiments to reach the ISS.
- miniPCR biocoreCo-founder of Genes in Space with Boeing. Provides space-tested miniPCR technology that powers DNA analysis aboard the ISS. Operates as Amplyus LLC (DBA miniPCR bio) and administers the Genes in Space contest website and program.
- ISS National LaboratorycoreManages access to the U.S. National Laboratory segment of the ISS for research. Designated by Congress in 2005 as the nation's newest national laboratory. Enables student experiments to be conducted aboard the station.
- New England Biolabs (NEB)majorMajor sponsor providing funding, equipment grants, and hosting Space Biology Camp at their headquarters. Industry leader in molecular biology enzymes with nearly 50 years commitment to science education.
- Math for America (MfA)majorNonprofit sponsor supporting math and science teachers. MfA Master Teachers serve as mentors for contest participants. Hosts workshops and provides teacher fellowship programs.
- UAE Space AgencyregionalInternational partner supporting the UAE edition of Genes in Space competition. Core mandate includes developing national and regional capacities in STEM fields and space sciences.
- The National (UAE)minorUAE media sponsor collaborating with Boeing and miniPCR to promote the international Genes in Space competition.
- BioBuilder FoundationminorCollaborated with Genes in Space to develop hands-on educator workshops. BioBuilder improves STEM education through synthetic biology programming for students and educators.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Genes in Space competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- New England Biolabs: Major sponsor hosting Space Biology Camp and supplying enzymes/equipment for the program. Comparable as a life sciences tools supplier whose education mission parallels the program's biotech focus.
- miniPCR bio (Amplyus LLC): The operating entity that administers Genes in Space and supplies its core miniPCR thermal cycler and P51 fluorescence viewer technology. It is the closest organizational peer because Genes in Space runs as a program inside Amplyus.
- ISS National Laboratory (Center for the Advancement of Science in Space): Manages access to the U.S. National Laboratory segment of the ISS. Comparable as the partner that provides Genes in Space its access channel to microgravity research.
Regional players
- UAE Space Agency: Regional government partner operating the international edition of Genes in Space. Comparable as the regional host enabling the program's UAE expansion and as a benchmark for other regional replication candidates.
Direct peers
- BioGENEius Challenge (Biotechnology Innovation Organization): Biotechnology-focused student competition with judging at the BIO International Convention. Directly comparable as a student biotech competition targeting high schoolers, though without the spaceflight platform.
- FIRST Robotics: Large-scale student STEM competition with mentor-driven teams and corporate sponsorship model. Comparable as a sponsor-funded, mentor-driven K-12 STEM competition at much larger scale.
- Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (Society for Science): The world's largest international pre-college STEM competition. Directly comparable as a marquee student science competition, though at far greater scale; provides a benchmark for competition-driven STEM engagement and a potential platform partner.
- Zero Robotics (MIT / Aurora Flight Sciences / NASA): Student competition programming SPHERES/Astrobee robots aboard the ISS. Highly comparable as a student competition whose winning experiments run on the International Space Station, with a similar NASA/ISS access model.
- Conrad Challenge: Student innovation competition for grades 9-12 producing real-world prototypes in categories including aerospace and health. Comparable as a multi-category student STEM competition with mentor networks and sponsor-funded model.
- BioBuilder Foundation: Nonprofit bringing hands-on synthetic biology curriculum and educator workshops to high school classrooms. Directly comparable on the BioBits cell-free system integration and the synthetic biology educator workshop channel.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Genes in Space social profiles
Digital presenceGenes in Space compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Genes in Space financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Genes in Space leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Genes in Space funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
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Genes in Space M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Genes in Space
What does Genes in Space do?
Genes in Space is an annual STEM competition that invites U.S. students in grades 7-12 to design original DNA analysis and biotechnology experiments to be conducted aboard the International Space Station. The program is administered by Amplyus LLC (d/b/a miniPCR bio) in partnership with Boeing and supported by the ISS National Laboratory and New England Biolabs. Supporting offerings include the Lab in a Box equipment loaner program, the Genes in Space Toolkit (miniPCR thermal cycler, P51 Fluorescence Viewer, BioBits cell-free system), educator workshops, and an educational video library.
Is Genes in Space a public or private company?
Genes in Space is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Genes in Space founded?
Genes in Space was founded in 2015. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Genes in Space based?
Genes in Space is headquartered in Cambridge, United States, in the North America region.
How does Genes in Space make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Competition Program Funding is the primary driver. The others are educational Program Services.
Who are Genes in Space's main competitors?
Others on record are New England Biolabs, miniPCR bio (Amplyus LLC) and ISS National Laboratory (Center for the Advancement of Science in Space). UAE Space Agency is listed as a regional player. Direct peers are BioGENEius Challenge (Biotechnology Innovation Organization), FIRST Robotics, Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (Society for Science), Zero Robotics (MIT / Aurora Flight Sciences / NASA), Conrad Challenge and BioBuilder Foundation.
Does Genes in Space have an API?
No public API is recorded for Genes in Space.
What industry is Genes in Space in?
Genes in Space's product category is STEM Education Programs. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAMABAE, Space & Astronomy Programs, with a secondary code of EDAMABAF, Biology & Life Science Enrichment (Biotech, Genetics, Anatomy). Its NAICS code is 541714 and its SIC code is 8731.