Hungarian start-up Genesis Sustainable Future Ltd (SFL) operates as a leaf-analyser through a smart solution, offering farmers a portable laboratory based on space technology that helps them perform species-specific and on-site plant testing.
According to Genesis Sustainable Future (Genesis SFL), portable mini-laboratories could be the farmers best friend. Explorers of Mars have previously used a solution like theirs, so no wonder it seemed like an exploitable area for the founders, as they have already achieved significant results with it. When asked what were their biggest successes so far: Dr. Bence Mátyás, founder of the company stated that “Participating in the ESA BIC Hungary Programme is one of the largest professional and business milestones for us to date. Previously we have made significant progress in plant glycan research, which is important for a deeper understanding of plant stress indicators. Monitoring the stress levels of plants is equally crucial in space research”.
In 2022, Genesis SFL achieved the best results in maize yields with their portable laboratory. According to the KSH (Hungarian Central Statistical Office) data, Genesis SFL have achieved an increase of 35.4% compared to the 2021 yield average, and maintained the average yield of the last 4 years. despite the drought.
Genesis SFL applied to the ESA BIC Hungary Programme to obtain support in business development, building a distributor network, and launching more pilot projects. Currently their algorithm and hardware is able to observe three types of plants. Genesis SFL would like to expand this according to market needs. “We wanted to have professional and business planning guidance from the programme and to be in contact with regional space industry players”. Above that the professional jury of the Hungarian Astronaut Programme (HUNOR) approved their project proposal, which gave them the opportunity to submit the microchip electrophoresis technology for human and plant research and to deliver it to the International Space Station. “This will in all likelihood happen by December 2024. Negotiations are already underway and contracts are expected to be finalised in July 2023”.
Regarding the space sector, Dr. Mátyás stated that they are most impressed by the field of astrobiology: “It is no coincidence that we are interested in this form of technology: the microchip electrophoresis. Such an instrument has already been installed on a Mars rover (Rosanlind Franklin rover) before for organic matter research”. When the team was asked what part of the space industry they find the most challenging and rewarding, they confidently answer that they are most excited about learning new things. Their main goal for the future is to detect the constantly changing plant nutrient deficiencies caused by the climate change and to discover plant diseases in an early stage.
