The three scientific experiments were selected from 29 projects for "their scientific value, technical feasibility and budgetary compatibility", states the public service of Federal Science Policy (Belspo).

Historically, Belgium has built up notable expertise and influence within the European Space Agency (ESA). Today, UNamur finds itself at the heart of an experiment that will be deployed during Belgian astronaut Raphaël Liegéois's stay aboard the ISS in 2026. The BeBlob project, conducted at the interface of biology and physics, aims to study Physarum polycephalum, commonly known as a "blob".

Boris Hespeels is a researcher at the ILEE Institute and the Beblob project leader alongside Anne-Catherine Heuskin, a researcher at the Narilis Institute. "We're also interested in its amazing ability to dry out completely and survive extreme stresses, including the vacuum of space, extreme temperatures or even high doses of radiation causing massive DNA damage," the two Namur researchers continue.

Building on their experience gained on previous ISS missions with other biological models, UNamur teams have developed a new miniaturized "vessel" for carrying different blob samples. In orbit, the astronaut will rehydrate the samples, which will then have to adapt to their new environment. The objectives are twofold: firstly, to assess the effects of the orbital environment on blob metabolism; secondly, to study DNA repair in samples previously irradiated on Earth by massive doses. Scientists will analyze how this organism repairs its genome in microgravity, and determine whether this process is altered by spaceflight.

This work should make it possible to identify key players in cell protection and repair under extreme conditions. Combined with the many experiments carried out at UNamur, they could ultimately lead to the development of new molecules capable of protecting astronauts, preserving fragile biological samples or even limiting the side effects of radiotherapy by protecting patients' healthy cells.

Discover the other scientific experiments selected to be carried out on board the International Space Station (ISS) during astronaut Raphaël Liégeois's mission in 2026

UNIVERSEH (European Space University for Earth and Humanity) is part of the "European Universities" initiative promoted by the European Commission. Its ambition is to develop a space to meet the societal, social and environmental challenges arising from European space policy.

Image credit | Jörgen Wiklund

Unlike previous lab-based studies, this large-scale experiment took place in a Swedish river and combined realistic pharmaceutical exposure with state-of-the-art telemetry to track the behaviour of 279 juvenile salmon (smolts) during their seaward migration. The salmon were exposed to either the anti-anxiety drug clobazam (a benzodiazepine), a common painkiller, both, or neither. The drugs were delivered via slow-release implants, at doses mimicking concentrations previously measured in wild fish from polluted rivers.

The researchers found that clobazam-exposed salmon crossed migration barriers two to eight times faster than the other groups. Surprisingly, a higher proportion—more than double—of these fish reached the sea alive. But is that good news?

“At first glance, it may seem like a positive effect,” says Prof. Thoré, who contributed to the data analysis, interpretation, and publication of the study. “But such behavioural changes could carry hidden costs. Moving faster might mean the fish take more risks or use up energy less efficiently—something that could compromise their chances of surviving the return journey to spawn. Not to mention the knock-on effects this may have on other species and the wider ecosystem.”

This is the first time the behavioural effects of psychiatric drugs have been tested at large scale on migrating fish in their natural habitat. Prof. Thoré was involved in the project during his postdoctoral research at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) and remains actively engaged in the collaboration today.

“This is part of a long-term partnership between UNamur and SLU,” he says. “We’re working together on several projects to better understand how pharmaceutical pollutants affect wild animal behaviour and ecology, and how we can mitigate these effects. It’s a productive collaboration, and I see it evolving into a long-term, structural link between our institutions.”

Pharmaceutical residues such as clobazam are frequently detected in European rivers—including Belgian waterways. A 2022 global survey found that one in four rivers worldwide contains pharmaceutical concentrations considered unsafe for aquatic life. Rivers in Brussels were ranked among the top 20% most contaminated.

“Drugs like clobazam are designed to act on the brain in low doses—and they do the same when fish absorb them,” says Prof. Thoré. “Our findings show that even very low, environmentally relevant concentrations can alter migration and behaviour in a species that’s ecologically, economically, and culturally important, like salmon.”

As Prof. Thoré explained in an interview with De Standaard:

Eli Thoré is an assistant professor and expert in animal behaviour and environmental pollution research at the University of Namur (Belgium), where he leads the Laboratory of Adaptive Biodynamics (LAB) as part of the Research Unit in Environmental and Evolutionary Biology (URBE). He is also a member ot the Institute of Life, Earth and Environment (ILEE). His team takes an integrative approach to understanding how animals respond to environmental changes, particularly those driven by human activity, including pharmaceutical pollution. By focusing on animal behaviour alongside its underlying mechanisms and broader ecological consequences—and by connecting these different scales—his team strives to advance scientific knowledge and contribute to thriving ecosystems that can catalyse sustainable development.

Read the article published in Science: Pharmaceutical pollution influences river-to-sea migration in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar)

The rocks that make up a planet's crust have a wide variety of chemical and mineralogical compositions. For the most part, these rocks originate from the slow cooling of magmas produced by the melting of other rocks located deeper down (the so-called mantle).

Between their source and the surface, magmas undergo continuous transformations, as crystals form and separate, progressively modifying their composition. It is theoretically possible to use surface rocks to infer the composition of planetary interiors. However, this requires a detailed understanding of magmatic processes, which can be partially reproduced in the laboratory.

The first objective is to constrain the magmatic processes behind rocks over 3.5 billion years old, analyzed by the Perseverance rover on Mars. This should make it possible to identify the nature of the mantle rocks at depth, but also to better understand how the Martian crust, as a whole, was formed.

The second objective is to study even older magmatic processes, active over 4.5 billion years ago, at a time when planets were still forming and had not yet reached their final size. At that time, the solar system was populated by miniature planets known as planetesimals, the vast majority of which were incorporated into the growing planets. Some fragments of these planetesimals survived to form what are known today as asteroids.

Committed to the UNIVERSEH program, Max Collinet has positioned himself as a key figure in the geological and space fields.

To find out more, read our previous article: Understanding Mars rocks that have fallen to Earth: portrait of a geologist with his head in the stars

Building on the experience of the DIADeM project (2017-2020), which focused on the impact of a cocktail of drugs on the quality of aquatic ecosystems, ORION takes a global approach to understanding the impact of the various anthropogenic pressures on Mosan aquatic ecosystems (agricultural, domestic and industrial activities). The project focuses on the chemical, microbiological and ecotoxic risks of water, taking into account impacts on ecosystems and human consumption.

• Collect data for a spatio-temporal study and model the pressures and impacts suffered by water bodies.
• Perform a microbiological and chemical diagnosis of water body quality.
• Evaluate the ecotoxicity of water bodies by studying sentinel species.
• Define forward-looking scenarios via climate scenario co-construction workshops.

The project brings together 6 operators coordinated by Université Champagne-Ardenne, the project leader, and researchers from the Escape and Sebio Research Units.

The other 5 operators are

• the ULiège and representatives from the PEgire unit;
• the UNamur, with the team from the Environmental and Evolutionary Biology Research Unit (URBE) as well as the Confluent des Savoirs ;
• the Institut national de l'environnement industriel et des risques (Ineris, France);
• the Centre d'Expertise en Virologie des Aliments (ACTALIA, France);
• the Institut Scientifique de Service Public (ISSeP).

The project also involves several associated partners such as the Société Publique de Wallonie (SPW) Agriculture et environnement, the Contrats de Rivières, the Agences de l'eau (France), the Société publique de gestion de l'eau (SPGE) and the Vlaamse Milieumaatschappij (VMM).

The University of Namur (URBE) is responsible for an eco-toxicological hazard assessment module, in collaboration with INERIS (FR) and ISSeP (BE). This module will examine the presence of industrial products and their impact on environmental health, using fish as sentinel organisms in polluted rivers. URBE will focus particularly on Atlantic salmon as a sentinel species undergoing rehabilitation in the Walloon Region.

Researchers will also assess the presence of endocrine disruptors and their effects on the immune and reproductive systems of fish.
An additional module shared between all partners, will examine prospective scenarios according to climate change and their impact on water quality and the species that inhabit it. This includes assessing the effects of additional pollutants in a context of thermal stress, particularly for salmon, through several scenarios based on IPCC predictions.

The Confluent des Savoirs is responsible for coordinating the communication and information dissemination module as part of the ORION project.

With its ambitions and objectives, the ORION project represents a significant step towards better management of aquatic resources and preservation of our environment. By mobilizing the expertise and resources of numerous partners, this project promises to generate valuable results for research and the implementation of effective environmental policies. By combining rigorous scientific research and collaboration between institutions, ORION is establishing itself as a flagship project for the protection of our water resources and the health of our natural environments.