Long Term Cell Culture Monitoring System

Critical for human space exploration, microbiology research can study effects of microgravity and space ionizing radiation on biological organisms. Existing microfluidic cartridges for cell and organism growth and metabolism research in space require sample loading and full system assembly on Earth, using highly specialized equipment and specially trained personnel, which limits the pace of research advancement. Our proposed Microfluidic Biospecimen Cartridge (MBC) system is a highly compact, standardized platform that allows loading, sealing of biological samples, automatic perfusion and monitoring of specimen growth without the need for specialized personnel or equipment. Once closed, the unit is entirely self-contained, minimizing contamination risk, and enabling safe handling of a wide variety of biological specimens in a microgravity environment. The cartridge contains 16 sample wells for parallel experiments with maximum flexibility and all reagents and waste are contained within the cartridge. This Phase II aims to demonstrate a working MBC unit (cartridge and instrument) that can be used for routine ground experiments and in space simulators. Specifically, Wainamics proposes to further optimize the MBC unit developed in Phase I by adding a one-way liquid reservoir injection port, an optical observation window, and another media reservoir. Following this optimization, we will start up pilot manufacturing to produce 1000 cartridges. In parallel, the custom prototype instrument for routine field and laboratory use will be completed and tested in a zero-gravity environment, and cross-kingdom unit compatibility for culturing will be demonstrated, including mammalian cells, bacteria, and algae. The MBC system, designed for high volume manufacturing, would be the first commercial, self-contained cell culture growth and perfusion system. Together with a dedicated MBC instrument, this compact, standardized platform can be used routinely for field research or in space. Existing microfluidic cartridges for research of cell and organism growth and metabolism in space require sample loading and full system assembly on Earth, using highly specialized equipment and specially trained personnel, which can limit the pace of research advancement in space. Our proposed Microfluidic Biospecimen Cartridge (MBC) would be the first commercial self-contained cell culture growth and perfusion system.  It is a standardized, highly compact system that works with many types of live biospecimens that allows for simple sample loading, sealing of samples, and automatic perfusion and monitoring of specimen growth, providing maximum flexibility for experiment execution. The MBC is designed for high volume manufacturing and will reduce cost by 20x compared to current microfluidic cartridges used in ISS and CubeSat missions and significantly improve consistency of the cartridge performance. Together with a dedicated MBC instrument, the platform is a highly portable, compact unit that can be used routinely for field research or in space. Objective 1: Optimization of the current MBC unit and pilot manufacturing of the unit for routine use. Update MBC design by adding a one-way liquid reservoir injection port, an optical observation window and splitting the reservoir into two compartments. Finalize design for standard high volume manufacturing methods. Pilot manufacturing of 1000 cartridges. Objective 2: Completion of custom prototype instrument for routine field and laboratory use. Develop compact MBC instrument Complete four phases of prototype development Test instrument and MBC together in a zero-gravity environment. Objective 3: Cross-kingdom demonstration of unit compatibility for culturing. Demonstrate growth of bacteria, mammalian cells, and algae in the MBC and instrument from Objectives 1 and 2. Perform antibiotic susceptibility testing (AST) and radiation testing. Demonstrate multi-species interactions in the MBC using organoids. Deliverables to NASA at the end of the project include: Final report Availability of two prototype instruments and up to 50 cartridges per instrument for evaluation, as desired

The compact MBC and instrument offer simplified, consistent performance and reduced development time and cost which can be useful for a wide range of NASA applications including: Microbiology experiments on the ISS CubeSat, Artemis III, Gateway missions Ground experiments with multiple specimens, allowing rapid transferring of the same experiment protocol to ISS experiments Studying effects of radiation and gravity on various genetically modified biospecimen, including yeast, bacteria, algae, plant, and mammalian cells Standardized, low-cost, and portable, the MBC’s adaptability to different environments and scenarios makes it a valuable asset for various fields and disciplines such as: STEM education Field research for portable biospecimen growth and monitoring Environmental monitoring

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 4) — the most realistic path in is NASA SBIR/STTR, which funds small businesses and research institutions to develop technology aligned with NASA's needs (equity-free, phased funding). Check whether a current SBIR/STTR solicitation topic overlaps with this project's technology area, or contact the project directly (above) to ask.

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