Abstract: The study of microbiology in space is important for fundamental space biology and astrobiology applications. Understanding the effects of microgravity and space’s ionizing radiation on biological organisms is critical for human exploration of space. Several CubeSats missions such as BioSentinel, SporeSat, O/OREOS1,2, have included microfluidic cartridges to research cell and organism growth and metabolism in space. Similar versions of these systems have also flown aboard the International Space Station (ISS) for life science research experiments. Microfluidic cartridges with compact and integrated instrumentation enable fully automated systems for storage of micro-organisms (i.e. cells, algae, spores, etc), automatic sample preparation, handling of reagents, and growth monitoring. Wainamics presents a next generation microfluidic biospecimen system that allows for simple sample loading, continuous perfusion, and monitoring of specimen growth. The disposable cartridge is capable of being configured and loaded on the ISS, or on Earth, with wide accessibility and ease of use for academic research laboratories. During the presentation, we will discuss the design and test results of this system, as well as advantages and challenges associated with microfluidic system development for space applications.
References: 1. BioSentinel: A 6U Nanosatellite for Deep-Space Biological Science. Ricco, A. J., Maria, S. R. S., Hanel, R. P. & Bhattacharya, S. IEEE Aerospace and Electronic Systems Magazine 35, 6-18 (2020). 2. CubeSats for microbiology and astrobiology research. Zea, L., Santa Maria, S. R., & Ricco, A. J. In Cubesat Handbook (pp. 147-162). Academic Press. (2021).