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Averesch NJH, Berliner AJ, Nangle SN, Zezulka S, Vengerova GL, Ho D, Casale CA, Lehner BAE, Snyder JE, Clark KB, Dartnell LR, Criddle CS, Arkin AP. Microbial biomanufacturing for space-exploration-what to take and when to make. Nat Commun 2023; 14:2311. [PMID: 37085475 PMCID: PMC10121718 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37910-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2023] [Indexed: 04/23/2023] Open
Abstract
As renewed interest in human space-exploration intensifies, a coherent and modernized strategy for mission design and planning has become increasingly crucial. Biotechnology has emerged as a promising approach to increase resilience, flexibility, and efficiency of missions, by virtue of its ability to effectively utilize in situ resources and reclaim resources from waste streams. Here we outline four primary mission-classes on Moon and Mars that drive a staged and accretive biomanufacturing strategy. Each class requires a unique approach to integrate biomanufacturing into the existing mission-architecture and so faces unique challenges in technology development. These challenges stem directly from the resources available in a given mission-class-the degree to which feedstocks are derived from cargo and in situ resources-and the degree to which loop-closure is necessary. As mission duration and distance from Earth increase, the benefits of specialized, sustainable biomanufacturing processes also increase. Consequentially, we define specific design-scenarios and quantify the usefulness of in-space biomanufacturing, to guide techno-economics of space-missions. Especially materials emerged as a potentially pivotal target for biomanufacturing with large impact on up-mass cost. Subsequently, we outline the processes needed for development, testing, and deployment of requisite technologies. As space-related technology development often does, these advancements are likely to have profound implications for the creation of a resilient circular bioeconomy on Earth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nils J H Averesch
- Center for the Utilization of Biological Engineering in Space (CUBES), Berkeley, CA, USA.
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
| | - Aaron J Berliner
- Center for the Utilization of Biological Engineering in Space (CUBES), Berkeley, CA, USA.
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.
| | - Shannon N Nangle
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA.
- Circe Bioscience Inc., Somerville, MA, USA.
| | - Spencer Zezulka
- Center for the Utilization of Biological Engineering in Space (CUBES), Berkeley, CA, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- School of Information, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Gretchen L Vengerova
- Center for the Utilization of Biological Engineering in Space (CUBES), Berkeley, CA, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Davian Ho
- Center for the Utilization of Biological Engineering in Space (CUBES), Berkeley, CA, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Cameran A Casale
- Center for the Utilization of Biological Engineering in Space (CUBES), Berkeley, CA, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Benjamin A E Lehner
- Department of Bionanoscience, Delft University of Technology, Delft, South Holland, Netherlands
| | | | - Kevin B Clark
- Cures Within Reach, Chicago, IL, USA
- Champions Program, eXtreme Science and Engineering Discovery Environment (XSEDE), Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Lewis R Dartnell
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Westminster, London, UK
| | - Craig S Criddle
- Center for the Utilization of Biological Engineering in Space (CUBES), Berkeley, CA, USA
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Adam P Arkin
- Center for the Utilization of Biological Engineering in Space (CUBES), Berkeley, CA, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
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Santomartino R, Averesch NJH, Bhuiyan M, Cockell CS, Colangelo J, Gumulya Y, Lehner B, Lopez-Ayala I, McMahon S, Mohanty A, Santa Maria SR, Urbaniak C, Volger R, Yang J, Zea L. Toward sustainable space exploration: a roadmap for harnessing the power of microorganisms. Nat Commun 2023; 14:1391. [PMID: 36944638 PMCID: PMC10030976 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37070-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Finding sustainable approaches to achieve independence from terrestrial resources is of pivotal importance for the future of space exploration. This is relevant not only to establish viable space exploration beyond low Earth-orbit, but also for ethical considerations associated with the generation of space waste and the preservation of extra-terrestrial environments. Here we propose and highlight a series of microbial biotechnologies uniquely suited to establish sustainable processes for in situ resource utilization and loop-closure. Microbial biotechnologies research and development for space sustainability will be translatable to Earth applications, tackling terrestrial environmental issues, thereby supporting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosa Santomartino
- UK Centre for Astrobiology, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
| | - Nils J H Averesch
- Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Center for Utilization of Biological Engineering in Space, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | | | - Charles S Cockell
- UK Centre for Astrobiology, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | | | - Yosephine Gumulya
- Centre for Microbiome Research, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | | | | | - Sean McMahon
- UK Centre for Astrobiology, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Anurup Mohanty
- Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, 600 1st Ave, Floor 1, Seattle, WA, 98104, USA
- Department of Biotechnology, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, India
| | - Sergio R Santa Maria
- Space Biosciences, NASA Ames Research Center, Mountain View, CA, USA
- KBR, Moffett Field, Mountain View, CA, USA
| | - Camilla Urbaniak
- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
- ZIN Technologies Inc, Middleburg Heights, OH, USA
| | - Rik Volger
- Department of Biotechnology, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Jiseon Yang
- Biodesign Center for Fundamental and Applied Microbiomics, Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Luis Zea
- BioServe Space Technologies, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA.
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