A5069962407- Spaceflight effects on biology
- Microbial Community Ecology and Physiology
- Planetary Science and Exploration
- Space Exploration and Technology
- Protist diversity and phylogeny
- Genomics and Phylogenetic Studies
- Space Science and Extraterrestrial Life
- Polar Research and Ecology
- Astro and Planetary Science
- High Altitude and Hypoxia
- Microplastics and Plastic Pollution
- Methane Hydrates and Related Phenomena
- Gut microbiota and health
- Listeria monocytogenes in Food Safety
- Light effects on plants
- DNA Repair Mechanisms
- Health, Environment, Cognitive Aging
- Graphene and Nanomaterials Applications
- Radiation Therapy and Dosimetry
- Probiotics and Fermented Foods
- Bacteriophages and microbial interactions
- Nanoparticles: synthesis and applications
- Legionella and Acanthamoeba research
- Indoor Air Quality and Microbial Exposure
- Climate Change and Health Impacts
Johnson Space Center
2015-2024
Abstract We evaluated the performance of MinION DNA sequencer in-flight on International Space Station (ISS), and benchmarked its off-Earth against MinION, Illumina MiSeq, PacBio RS II sequencing platforms in terrestrial laboratories. Samples contained equimolar mixtures genomic from lambda bacteriophage, Escherichia coli (strain K12, MG1655) Mus musculus (female BALB/c mouse). Nine runs were performed aboard ISS over a 6-month period, yielding total 276,882 reads with no apparent decrease...
Rapid DNA sequencing and analysis has been a long-sought goal in remote research point-of-care medicine. In microgravity, can facilitate novel astrobiological close monitoring of crew health, but spaceflight places stringent restrictions on the mass volume instruments, operation time, instrument functionality. The recent emergence portable, nanopore-based tools with streamlined sample preparation protocols finally enables missions microgravity. As first step toward space aboard International...
For the past two decades, microbial monitoring of International Space Station (ISS) has relied on culture-dependent methods that require return to Earth for analysis. This a number limitations, with most significant being bias towards detection culturable organisms and inherent delay between sample collection ground-based In recent years, portable easy-to-use molecular-based tools, such as Oxford Nanopore Technologies’ MinION™ sequencer miniPCR bio’s miniPCR™ thermal cycler, have been...
The built environment contains a variety of microorganisms, some which pose critical human health risks (e.g., hospital-acquired infection, antibiotic resistance dissemination). We uncovered combination complex biological functions that may play role in bacterial survival under the presumed selective pressures model environment—the International Space Station—by using an approach to compare pangenomes strains from two clinically relevant species ( B. cereus and S. aureus ) isolated both...
The MinION sequencer has made in situ sequencing feasible remote locations. Following our initial demonstration of its high performance off planet with Earth-prepared samples, we developed and tested an end-to-end, sample-to-sequencer process that could be conducted entirely aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Initial experiments demonstrated a microbial mock community standard. DNA was successfully amplified, primers were degraded, libraries prepared sequenced. median percent...
This study investigates the acute toxicity of graphene to sludge microbial communities.
Abstract The emergence of nanopore-based sequencers greatly expands the reach sequencing into low-resource field environments, enabling in situ molecular analysis. In this work, we evaluated performance MinION DNA sequencer (Oxford Nanopore Technologies) in-flight on International Space Station (ISS), and benchmarked its off-Earth against MinION, Illumina MiSeq, PacBio RS II platforms terrestrial laboratories. Samples contained mixtures genomic extracted from lambda bacteriophage,...
In this perspectives paper, we identify major challenges for space crop production: altered convection in the microgravity environment, scheduling and logistics, crew time need advanced automation, robotics, modeling, machine learning. We provide an overview of existing production gaps identified by Kennedy Space Center (KSC) team discuss efforts current development NASA projects to address these gaps. note that list may not be exhaustive but aims present baseline needs implementation a...
Spaceflight uniquely alters the physiology of both human cells and microbial pathogens, stimulating cellular molecular changes directly relevant to infectious disease. However, influence this environment on host-pathogen interactions remains poorly understood. Here we report our results from STL-IMMUNE study flown aboard Space Shuttle mission STS-131, which investigated multi-omic responses (transcriptomic, proteomic) intestinal epithelial infection with Salmonella Typhimurium when host...
As focus for exploration of Mars transitions from current robotic explorers to development crewed missions, it remains important protect the integrity scientific investigations at Mars, as well Earth's biosphere any potential harmful effects returned martian material. This is discipline planetary protection, and Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) maintains consensus international policy guidelines how this implemented. Based National Aeronautics Administration (NASA) European Agency (ESA)...
Abstract The common bacterial base modification N6-methyladenine (m 6 A) is involved in many pathways related to an organism’s ability survive and interact with its environment. Recent research has shown that nanopore sequencing can detect m 5 C per-read accuracy of upwards 80% but A significantly lower accuracy. Here we use a binary classifier improve classification by marking adenines as methylated or unmethylated based on differences between measured expected current values each adenine...
The ability to perform remote, in situ sequencing and diagnostics has been a long-sought goal for point-of-care medicine portable DNA/RNA measurements. This technological advancement extends missions beyond Earth as well, both crew health astrobiology applications. However, most commercially available technologies are ill-suited space flight variety of reasons, including excessive volume mass, insufficient ruggedization spaceflight. Portable lightweight nanopore-based sequencers, which...
As we explore beyond Earth, astronauts may be at risk for harmful DNA damage caused by ionizing radiation. Double-strand breaks are a type of that can repaired two major cellular pathways: non-homologous end joining, during which insertions or deletions added the break site, and homologous recombination, in sequence often remains unchanged. Previous work suggests space conditions impact choice repair pathway, potentially compounding risks increased radiation exposure travel. However, our...
To characterize the ATLO (Assembly, Test, and Launch Operations) environment of OSIRIS-REx spacecraft, we analyzed 17 aluminum witness foils two blanks for bacterial, archaeal, fungal, arthropod DNA. Under NASA's Planetary Protection guidelines, is a Category II outbound, V unrestricted sample return mission. As result, it has no bioburden restrictions. However, mission does have strict organic contamination requirements to achieve its primary objective returning pristine carbonaceous...
Urine, humidity condensate, and other sources of non-potable water are processed onboard the International Space Station (ISS) by Water Recovery System (WRS) yielding potable water. While some means microbial control in place, including a phosphoric acid/hexavalent chromium urine pretreatment solution, many areas within WRS not available for routine monitoring. Due to refurbishment needs, two flex lines from Urine Processor Assembly (UPA) were removed returned Earth. The these lines, as well...
We report draft genomes of five bacteria recovered from the U.S. and Russian water systems onboard International Space Station. The genera include Ralstonia, Burkholderia, Cupriavidus, Methylobacterium, Pseudomonas. These sequences will help further understanding reclamation environmental control life support in space.
We report four