Staff members from the 3D Printing and Visualization Center at the Medical School, University of Pécs also participated in the VITAPRIC project’s professional event, where researchers and experts involved in the project shared their experiences and presented the results and challenges encountered during the collaboration. Our center was represented by Péter Nágel and Ádám Schlégl; our colleague Zsombor Baka was also present at the event. The program’s technical coordinator is Prof. Dr. Miklós Fári, a professor at the Institute of Applied Plant Biology, Faculty of Agriculture, Food Science, and Environmental Management, University of Debrecen.

VITAPRIC is a Hungarian space plant research project carried out as part of the HUNOR Hungarian Astronaut Program, in collaboration between the University of Debrecen and the University of Pécs. The goal of the research is to investigate how fresh, nutrient-rich plants can be provided to astronauts during long-term space missions. To this end, radish, bell pepper, and wheat seeds were grown and studied on the International Space Station (ISS), analyzing the effects of microgravity on plant development and nutrient composition.

Researchers from the University of Pécs, including experts from the Medical Schools’s 3D Printing and Visualization Centre, played an active role in the project. Our centre contributed to the research through innovative technical developments and 3D modeling tasks, supporting advancements in space plant cultivation. The experiment was a success: the plant samples, which had been studied on the International Space Station for more than half a year, returned safely to Earth, where further laboratory analyses will help researchers lay the groundwork for food supply on long-term crewed space missions.

This professional event provided an excellent opportunity for project participants to review the results achieved so far, share their experiences, and discuss further opportunities for collaboration.