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Fais G, Casula M, Sidorowicz A, Manca A, Margarita V, Fiori PL, Pantaleo A, Caboni P, Cao G, Concas A. Cultivation of Chroococcidiopsis thermalis Using Available In Situ Resources to Sustain Life on Mars. Life (Basel) 2024; 14:251. [PMID: 38398760 PMCID: PMC10889959 DOI: 10.3390/life14020251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2023] [Revised: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 02/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The cultivation of cyanobacteria by exploiting available in situ resources represents a possible way to supply food and oxygen to astronauts during long-term crewed missions on Mars. Here, we evaluated the possibility of cultivating the extremophile cyanobacterium Chroococcidiopsis thermalis CCALA 050 under operating conditions that should occur within a dome hosting a recently patented process to produce nutrients and oxygen on Mars. The medium adopted to cultivate this cyanobacterium, named Martian medium, was obtained using a mixture of regolith leachate and astronauts' urine simulants that would be available in situ resources whose exploitation could reduce the mission payload. The results demonstrated that C. thermalis can grow in such a medium. For producing high biomass, the best medium consisted of specific percentages (40%vol) of Martian medium and a standard medium (60%vol). Biomass produced in such a medium exhibits excellent antioxidant properties and contains significant amounts of pigments. Lipidomic analysis demonstrated that biomass contains strategic lipid classes able to help the astronauts facing the oxidative stress and inflammatory phenomena taking place on Mars. These characteristics suggest that this strain could serve as a valuable nutritional resource for astronauts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giacomo Fais
- Interdepartmental Centre of Environmental Science and Engineering (CINSA), University of Cagliari, Via San Giorgio 12, 09124 Cagliari, Italy; (G.F.); (M.C.); (A.S.); (G.C.)
- Department of Mechanical, Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Cagliari, Via Marengo 2, 09123 Cagliari, Italy
| | - Mattia Casula
- Interdepartmental Centre of Environmental Science and Engineering (CINSA), University of Cagliari, Via San Giorgio 12, 09124 Cagliari, Italy; (G.F.); (M.C.); (A.S.); (G.C.)
- Department of Mechanical, Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Cagliari, Via Marengo 2, 09123 Cagliari, Italy
| | - Agnieszka Sidorowicz
- Interdepartmental Centre of Environmental Science and Engineering (CINSA), University of Cagliari, Via San Giorgio 12, 09124 Cagliari, Italy; (G.F.); (M.C.); (A.S.); (G.C.)
- Department of Mechanical, Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Cagliari, Via Marengo 2, 09123 Cagliari, Italy
| | - Alessia Manca
- Department of Biomedical Science, University of Sassari, Viale San Pietro, 07100 Sassari, Italy; (A.M.); (V.M.); (P.L.F.); (A.P.)
| | - Valentina Margarita
- Department of Biomedical Science, University of Sassari, Viale San Pietro, 07100 Sassari, Italy; (A.M.); (V.M.); (P.L.F.); (A.P.)
| | - Pier Luigi Fiori
- Department of Biomedical Science, University of Sassari, Viale San Pietro, 07100 Sassari, Italy; (A.M.); (V.M.); (P.L.F.); (A.P.)
| | - Antonella Pantaleo
- Department of Biomedical Science, University of Sassari, Viale San Pietro, 07100 Sassari, Italy; (A.M.); (V.M.); (P.L.F.); (A.P.)
| | - Pierluigi Caboni
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Cagliari, 09042 Cagliari, Italy;
| | - Giacomo Cao
- Interdepartmental Centre of Environmental Science and Engineering (CINSA), University of Cagliari, Via San Giorgio 12, 09124 Cagliari, Italy; (G.F.); (M.C.); (A.S.); (G.C.)
- Department of Mechanical, Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Cagliari, Via Marengo 2, 09123 Cagliari, Italy
- Center for Advanced Studies, Research and Development in Sardinia (CRS4), Loc. Piscina Manna, Building 1, 09050 Pula, Italy
| | - Alessandro Concas
- Interdepartmental Centre of Environmental Science and Engineering (CINSA), University of Cagliari, Via San Giorgio 12, 09124 Cagliari, Italy; (G.F.); (M.C.); (A.S.); (G.C.)
- Department of Mechanical, Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Cagliari, Via Marengo 2, 09123 Cagliari, Italy
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