Space Seed Holdings CEO Joins Panel at Japanese Society for Biological Sciences in Space Meeting
Kengo Suzuki, Representative Director and CEO of Space Seed Holdings Inc. (“SSHD”), spoke on September 20, 2026, at the closing panel of the 40th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society for Biological Sciences in Space (JSBSS), held at Hokkaido University’s Sapporo Campus. He took part as Director of SPACE LAB. at Spacenome Lab., Inc. (“Spacenome”), in which SSHD has invested.
The discussion focused on how researchers should choose where to run a life-science experiment as the options expand from the International Space Station to stratospheric balloons, small satellites and commercial space stations.
The panel
– Title: Where Will You Run That Life-Science Experiment? From the Stratosphere to Post-ISS: An Open Design Discussion for “Flying” Research
– Date and time: Sunday, September 20, 2026, 16:00¨C17:00 JST
– Venue: Auditorium, Clark Memorial Student Center, Hokkaido University
– Organized by: Masahiro Sonoshita, Institute for Genetic Medicine, Hokkaido University (Chair of the Organizing Committee)
Speakers:
– Keisuke Iwaya, Iwaya Giken Inc.
– Atsuko Homma, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
– Kazuma Murakami, Aerospace Division, Mitsubishi Corporation
– Shingo Horiguchi, Representative Director and CEO, DigitalBlast Inc. and SpaceBlast Inc.
– Kengo Suzuki, Director of SPACE LAB., Spacenome Lab., Inc., and Representative Director and CEO, Space Seed Holdings Inc.
– Soichiro Ueno, IDDK Co., Ltd.
These research platforms differ in altitude, gravity, radiation, pressure, temperature and experiment duration. Researchers also need to consider sample return, opportunities for human intervention, cost and preparation time. The six panelists described their work and then discussed three questions with researchers in the audience:
– Which types of life-science research are best suited to each platform?
– What should researchers consider when planning a space experiment, and at what stage?
– What is needed to make experiments in the stratosphere and in space more frequent and easier to access?
What Suzuki presented
Suzuki said Spacenome’s SPACE LAB. aims to shorten the time needed to prepare and repeat small-scale experiments in space, as researchers do on the ground.
As an example, Spacenome plans to fly an ultra-small cell culture module on AOBA, a recoverable small satellite that ElevationSpace Inc. plans to launch in 2027 or later, to observe how the microalga Euglena moves and grows in microgravity. Smaller equipment could reduce the cost and preparation time of individual experiments, so the same question could be tested more than once. Secondary school students will culture Euglena on the ground and compare their results with the orbital data.
Running more experiments also requires a system that can set conditions, read results and decide the next step without waiting for instructions from the ground. SSHD, Spacenome, Regenesome Inc. and IDDK Co., Ltd. are working on SpaceAgent, a platform built around a large language model (LLM) for conducting research autonomously in space and on the ground, and the four companies have filed patent applications relating to the platform. Suzuki also spoke about seeking patent protection for inventions arising from space experiments, so that researchers and companies can build on them.
Comment
Kengo Suzuki, Director of SPACE LAB., Spacenome Lab., Inc., and Representative Director and CEO, Space Seed Holdings Inc.
“When opportunities for space experiments were scarce, researchers had little choice about where to run them. Now there are more options, including the stratosphere, small satellites and commercial space stations. It was valuable for researchers and companies to sit down together and share their expectations and constraints. With SPACE LAB. and SpaceAgent, we are working to make space experiments small, fast and repeatable. If they become an everyday research tool, we can help researchers answer more questions in less time.”
About the meeting
– Name: The 40th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society for Biological Sciences in Space
– Theme: Excited about Space, Thrilled by Life
– Dates: September 17, 2026 (satellite sessions); September 18¨C20 (main meeting)
– Venue: Sapporo Campus, Hokkaido University
– Host: Japanese Society for Biological Sciences in Space
– Official page:
About Spacenome Lab., Inc.
Spacenome designs research themes that use the space environment (SPACE LAB.) and supports next-generation researchers (NEST LAB.). It is a Leave a Nest group company, and Space Seed Holdings invested in it in March 2026.
Website:
About Space Seed Holdings Inc.
Space Seed Holdings is a space deep-tech venture builder whose mission is “Turning science fiction into nonfiction.” Its activities span investment, research and venture creation, and include the Fermentation and Longevity Fund program, which supports the practical use of fermentation and longevity technologies. Its long-term goal is to help develop the technologies needed for humans to live in space by 2040, working with partners across different fields.
Website:
