Integrated Biofilm Control Strategies for Water Systems during Extended Space Flight

Water supply and recycle systems on the International Space Station (ISS) and future extended space exploration missions are critical elements of the primary life support system. Microbes in the water can grow as biofilms on surfaces and this fouling has the potential to cause plugging and system failure. The overall goal of this project is to advance the development of biofilm control strategies for mitigating biofouling in water systems supporting crewed space exploration. This will be accomplished by integrating synergistic technologies: removal of key nutrients from water streams to reduce their ability to support microbial growth, addition of biocides to inhibit growth, deployment of antibiofilm materials or surface coatings, and incorporation of sensors to monitor and control system performance. Building on three NASA-funded seed projects in these areas, an interdisciplinary team has been assembled at the Center for Biofilm Engineering at MSU that merges engineering and microbiology, has active contacts with colleagues and managers at four NASA labs or centers, and decades of collective experience working on biofilm challenges. This EPSCoR Research Group proposal will integrate these efforts to create a specialized capability in Montana focused on biofilm control in water systems for extended space flight. An important driver of the research in the project is the future challenge of operating water systems in extended spaceflight or manned bases for long periods of time without resupply of parts or chemicals. In addition, NASA anticipates that some systems will experience significant periods of inactivity (termed dormancy) in which the potential for microbial growth and fouling is not well understood and microbial control strategies are therefore paramount. To address these needs, our workplan incorporates long-term experiments and periods of system dormancy. Research is organized in six technical objectives: 1) Evaluate long-term efficacy of targeted nutrient removal for preventing microbial growth and biofilm formation. 2) Evaluate long-term efficacy of preventing microbial growth and biofilm formation with biocides including those that can be electrolytically generated in-flight (e.g., halogens, hydrogen peroxide). 3) Evaluate long-term efficacy of preventing microbial growth and biofilm formation with coated or treated materials (as well as respective untreated materials). 4) Evaluate combinations of nutrient removal/material coatings/biocide control strategies. 5) Develop and fabricate a custom simulated microgravity microbial growth reactor that incorporates sensors, biofilm coupons, and continuous flow. 6) Develop and evaluate sensor technologies to monitor microbial growth and guide biocide control. Experimental work makes extensive use of CDC biofilm reactor systems, a model with which the team has a long track record of productivity. There are four salient features of innovation in this proposal: 1) A focus on electrolytic generation of biocides, a technical approach that affords high efficacy relative to mass, on-demand generation, and compatibility with electrochemical sensing. 2) A multi-sensor MEMS platform for water quality and biocide monitoring. 3) Likely synergies from integrating three mitigation strategies of nutrient removal, biocide addition, and antibiofilm coatings and materials. 4) A new simulated microgravity reactor system design. The project will rely heavily on reactor systems fabricated and supplied by a Montana small business, Biosurface Technologies (BST), the world’s lead supplier of biofilm reactors. This project and new NASA connections will strengthen BST’s presence in the marketplace. The project supports NASA-oriented workforce development with participation of two graduate students, a post-doctoral level research engineer, four early career research faculty, and a junior faculty member.

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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