Developing autonomous hardware for use on suborbital flight to evaluate the impacts of launch and landing on Candida albicans adaptation to spaceflight

Understanding how yeast adapts to spaceflight may provide a window into more detailed understanding of how other biological organisms—including humans—adapt as well. Researchers at Montana State University are Developing Autonomous Hardware for Use in Suborbital Flight to Evaluate the Impacts of Launch and Landing on Candida Albicans Adaptation to Spaceflight. While these phases of spaceflight may represent fractional experiences in terms of exposure time, the cellular responses are important for a comprehensive understanding of the total biological experience. 

Problem Statement Crew member reports and biological sample analyses have made evident that launch, transition to microgravity, and landing have cellular and physiological effects on biological organisms. Researchers can look at the cellular responses of various biological organisms to understand these effects. Candida albicans (an opportunistic pathogenic yeast), for example, can serve as a model system to predict and inform the responses of more complex organisms. Researchers have already demonstrated that C. albicans grown in microgravity responds with differential gene expression, morphologic changes, and increased resistance to an antifungal agent.Research and technology development in this area on commercial suborbital flights requires versatile, reliable, and autonomously functioning hardware and equipment. Once developed, such equipment and hardware can be more readily adapted for use on the Lunar Gateway as well as lunar and Mars expeditions. 

Technology Maturation This project involves developing modifications of BioServe Space Technology’s MOBIAS and PLASM automated culture hardware systems to support experiments that subject yeast to appropriately scheduled and autonomously initiated cell activity, analyzing its response to isolated windows of the flight experience—namely, launch, landing, and brief microgravity.

Summary of Flight Test
2023-12-19 This flight allowed development, test, qualification and successful flight and science demonstration of this new spaceflight technology in a high vibration and shock environment.

Understanding how yeast adapts to spaceflight may provide a window into more detailed understanding of how other biological organisms—including humans—adapt as well. Researchers at Montana State University are Developing Autonomous Hardware for Use in Suborbital Flight to Evaluate the Impacts of Launch and Landing on Candida Albicans Adaptation to Spaceflight. While these phases of spaceflight may represent fractional experiences in terms of exposure time, the cellular responses are important for a comprehensive understanding of the total biological experience. This would benefit NASA missions, the commercial space industry, other government agencies, and the nation.

Future Customers
•Moon-and Mars-based bioscience research

This is a mature technology (TRL 7) — the realistic path in is usually NASA's Technology Transfer Program: licensing an existing NASA patent, or a Space Act Agreement to use NASA facilities/expertise directly. NASA also runs a startup licensing program with no upfront fee for companies formed to commercialize a specific NASA technology.

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