Open AccessBioSentinel: A Biofluidic Nanosatellite Monitoring Microbial Growth and Activity in Deep Space
Author(s) -
Michael R. Padgen,
Lauren C Liddell,
Shilpa R. Bhardwaj,
Diana Gentry,
Diana Marina,
Macarena Parra,
Travis Boone,
Ming X. Tan,
Lance Ellingson,
Abraham Rademacher,
Joshua Benton,
Aaron Schooley,
Aliyeh Mousavi,
C. Friedericks,
Robert P. Hanel,
Antonio J. Ricco,
Sharmila Bhattacharya,
Sergio R. Santa Maria
Publication year - 2023
Publication title -
astrobiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.234
H-Index - 90
eISSN - 1531-1074
pISSN - 1557-8070
DOI - 10.1089/ast.2020.2305
Subject(s) - cubesat , payload (computing) , astrobiology , nasa deep space network , aerospace engineering , space exploration , low earth orbit , satellite , remote sensing , systems engineering , environmental science , physics , spacecraft , computer science , engineering , geology , computer network , network packet
Small satellite technologies, particularly CubeSats, are enabling breakthrough research in space. Over the past 15 years, NASA Ames Research Center has developed and flown half a dozen biological CubeSats in low Earth orbit (LEO) to conduct space biology and astrobiology research investigating the effects of the space environment on microbiological organisms. These studies of the impacts of radiation and reduced gravity on cellular processes include dose-dependent interactions with antimicrobial drugs, measurements of gene expression and signaling, and assessment of radiation damage. BioSentinel, the newest addition to this series, will be the first deep space biological CubeSat, its heliocentric orbit extending far beyond the radiation-shielded environment of low Earth orbit. BioSentinel's 4U biosensing payload, the first living biology space experiment ever conducted beyond the Earth-Moon system, will use a microbial bioassay to assess repair of radiation-induced DNA damage in eukaryotic cells over a duration of 6-12 months. Part of a special collection of articles focused on BioSentinel and its science mission, this article describes the design, development, and testing of the biosensing payload's microfluidics and optical systems, highlighting improvements relative to previous CubeSat life-support and bioanalytical measurement technologies.