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Soundararajan M, Paddock MB, Dougherty M, Jones HW, Hogan JA, Donovan FM, Galazka JM, Settles AM. Theoretical design of a space bioprocessing system to produce recombinant proteins. NPJ Microgravity 2023; 9:78. [PMID: 37717090 PMCID: PMC10505218 DOI: 10.1038/s41526-023-00324-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 09/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Space-based biomanufacturing has the potential to improve the sustainability of deep space exploration. To advance biomanufacturing, bioprocessing systems need to be developed for space applications. Here, commercial technologies were assessed to design space bioprocessing systems to supply a liquid amine carbon dioxide scrubber with active carbonic anhydrase produced recombinantly. Design workflows encompassed biomass dewatering of 1 L Escherichia coli cultures through to recombinant protein purification. Non-crew time equivalent system mass (ESM) analyses had limited utility for selecting specific technologies. Instead, bioprocessing system designs focused on minimizing complexity and enabling system versatility. Three designs that differed in biomass dewatering and protein purification approaches had nearly equivalent ESM of 357-522 kg eq. Values from the system complexity metric (SCM), technology readiness level (TRL), integration readiness level (IRL), and degree of crew assistance metric identified a simpler, less costly, and easier to operate design for automated biomass dewatering, cell lysis, and protein affinity purification.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Matthew B Paddock
- KBR, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Mountain View, CA, 94035, USA
| | - Michael Dougherty
- KBR, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Mountain View, CA, 94035, USA
| | - Harry W Jones
- Bioengineering Branch, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Mountain View, CA, 94035, USA
| | - John A Hogan
- Bioengineering Branch, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Mountain View, CA, 94035, USA
| | - Frances M Donovan
- Bioengineering Branch, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Mountain View, CA, 94035, USA
| | - Jonathan M Galazka
- Space Biosciences Division, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Mountain View, CA, 94035, USA
| | - A Mark Settles
- Bioengineering Branch, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Mountain View, CA, 94035, USA.
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Kovalev VS, Grandl W, Manukovsky NS, Tikhomirov AA, Bӧck C. Modeling a lunar base mushroom farm. LIFE SCIENCES IN SPACE RESEARCH 2022; 33:1-6. [PMID: 35491024 DOI: 10.1016/j.lssr.2021.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Revised: 11/21/2021] [Accepted: 12/28/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
To calculate the equivalent system mass of mushrooms, a conceptual configuration of a mushroom farm as part of a bioregenerative life support system on an inhabited lunar base was designed. The mushroom farm consists of two connected modules. Each module is a double-shell rigid pipe-in-pipe aluminum structure. The first module is used to prepare and sterilize the substrate, while the mushrooms are sown and grown in the second module. Planned productivity of the mushroom farm is 28 kg of fresh mushrooms per one process cycle lasting 66 days for 14 consumers. Mushroom production can be increased using additional modules. The calculated equivalent system masses of the mushroom farm and the mushrooms produced therein is 88,432 kg and 31,550 kg per 1 kg of dry mushrooms in one process cycle, respectively. At that, the biggest contributor to the equivalent system mass of mushrooms is the total pressurized volume of the farm - 68%. The results obtained may be a prerequisite for performing trade-off studies between different configurations of mushroom farm and calculating a space diet using the equivalent system mass of mushrooms.
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Affiliation(s)
- V S Kovalev
- Institute of Biophysics of Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences Russian Federation.
| | - W Grandl
- Architect and civil engineer, Tulln, Austria
| | - N S Manukovsky
- Institute of Biophysics of Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences Russian Federation; Reshetnev Siberian State University of Science and Technology Russian Federation
| | - A A Tikhomirov
- Institute of Biophysics of Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences Russian Federation; Reshetnev Siberian State University of Science and Technology Russian Federation
| | - C Bӧck
- Mechanical engineer, Tulln, Austria
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Ellery A. Supplementing Closed Ecological Life Support Systems with In-Situ Resources on the Moon. Life (Basel) 2021; 11:life11080770. [PMID: 34440514 PMCID: PMC8401783 DOI: 10.3390/life11080770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2021] [Revised: 07/23/2021] [Accepted: 07/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
In this review, I explore a broad-based view of technologies for supporting human activities on the Moon and, where appropriate, Mars. Primarily, I assess the state of life support systems technology beginning with physicochemical processes, waste processing, bioregenerative methods, food production systems and the robotics and advanced biological technologies that support the latter. We observe that the Moon possesses in-situ resources but that these resources are of limited value in closed ecological life support systems (CELSS)-indeed, CELSS technology is most mature in recycling water and oxygen, the two resources that are abundant on the Moon. This places a premium on developing CELSS that recycle other elements that are rarified on the Moon including C and N in particular but also other elements such as P, S and K which might be challenging to extract from local resources. Although we focus on closed loop ecological life support systems, we also consider related technologies that involve the application of biological organisms to bioregenerative medical technologies and bioregenerative approaches to industrial activity on the Moon as potential future developments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex Ellery
- Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6, Canada
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4
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Garikipati VNS, Arakelyan A, Blakely EA, Chang PY, Truongcao MM, Cimini M, Malaredy V, Bajpai A, Addya S, Bisserier M, Brojakowska A, Eskandari A, Khlgatian MK, Hadri L, Fish KM, Kishore R, Goukassian DA. Long-Term Effects of Very Low Dose Particle Radiation on Gene Expression in the Heart: Degenerative Disease Risks. Cells 2021; 10:cells10020387. [PMID: 33668521 PMCID: PMC7917872 DOI: 10.3390/cells10020387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2021] [Revised: 01/27/2021] [Accepted: 02/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Compared to low doses of gamma irradiation (γ-IR), high-charge-and-energy (HZE) particle IR may have different biological response thresholds in cardiac tissue at lower doses, and these effects may be IR type and dose dependent. Three- to four-month-old female CB6F1/Hsd mice were exposed once to one of four different doses of the following types of radiation: γ-IR 137Cs (40-160 cGy, 0.662 MeV), 14Si-IR (4-32 cGy, 260 MeV/n), or 22Ti-IR (3-26 cGy, 1 GeV/n). At 16 months post-exposure, animals were sacrificed and hearts were harvested and archived as part of the NASA Space Radiation Tissue Sharing Forum. These heart tissue samples were used in our study for RNA isolation and microarray hybridization. Functional annotation of twofold up/down differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and bioinformatics analyses revealed the following: (i) there were no clear lower IR thresholds for HZE- or γ-IR; (ii) there were 12 common DEGs across all 3 IR types; (iii) these 12 overlapping genes predicted various degrees of cardiovascular, pulmonary, and metabolic diseases, cancer, and aging; and (iv) these 12 genes revealed an exclusive non-linear DEG pattern in 14Si- and 22Ti-IR-exposed hearts, whereas two-thirds of γ-IR-exposed hearts revealed a linear pattern of DEGs. Thus, our study may provide experimental evidence of excess relative risk (ERR) quantification of low/very low doses of full-body space-type IR-associated degenerative disease development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Venkata Naga Srikanth Garikipati
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Dorothy M Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute, Wexner Medical School, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA;
| | - Arsen Arakelyan
- Bioinformatics Group, The Institute of Molecular Biology, The National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia, Yerevan 0014, Armenia;
- PathVerse, Yerevan 0014, Armenia
| | | | | | - May M. Truongcao
- Center for Translational Medicine, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA; (M.M.T.); (M.C.); (V.M.); (A.B.); (R.K.)
| | - Maria Cimini
- Center for Translational Medicine, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA; (M.M.T.); (M.C.); (V.M.); (A.B.); (R.K.)
| | - Vandana Malaredy
- Center for Translational Medicine, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA; (M.M.T.); (M.C.); (V.M.); (A.B.); (R.K.)
| | - Anamika Bajpai
- Center for Translational Medicine, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA; (M.M.T.); (M.C.); (V.M.); (A.B.); (R.K.)
| | - Sankar Addya
- Kimmel Cancer Center, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA;
| | - Malik Bisserier
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; (M.B.); (A.B.); (A.E.); (M.K.K.); (L.H.); (K.M.F.)
| | - Agnieszka Brojakowska
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; (M.B.); (A.B.); (A.E.); (M.K.K.); (L.H.); (K.M.F.)
| | - Abrisham Eskandari
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; (M.B.); (A.B.); (A.E.); (M.K.K.); (L.H.); (K.M.F.)
| | - Mary K. Khlgatian
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; (M.B.); (A.B.); (A.E.); (M.K.K.); (L.H.); (K.M.F.)
| | - Lahouaria Hadri
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; (M.B.); (A.B.); (A.E.); (M.K.K.); (L.H.); (K.M.F.)
| | - Kenneth M. Fish
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; (M.B.); (A.B.); (A.E.); (M.K.K.); (L.H.); (K.M.F.)
| | - Raj Kishore
- Center for Translational Medicine, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA; (M.M.T.); (M.C.); (V.M.); (A.B.); (R.K.)
| | - David. A. Goukassian
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; (M.B.); (A.B.); (A.E.); (M.K.K.); (L.H.); (K.M.F.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-212-824-8917
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Borer B, Jimenez-Martinez J, Stocker R, Or D. Reduced gravity promotes bacterially mediated anoxic hotspots in unsaturated porous media. Sci Rep 2020; 10:8614. [PMID: 32451389 PMCID: PMC7248055 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-65362-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2019] [Accepted: 04/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Human endeavours into deep space exploration and the prospects of establishing colonies on nearby planets would invariably involve components of bioregenerative life support for food production, cabin atmosphere renewal, and waste recycling. Growing plants and their microbiomes in porous media under different gravitational fields may present new challenges due to effects of liquid distribution on gaseous exchange with roots and microorganisms. We provide the first direct evidence that capillary driven liquid reconfiguration in porous media under reduced gravity conditions reduces oxygen diffusion pathways and enhances anoxic conditions within bacterial hotspots. Parabolic flight experiments using model porous media inoculated with aerobic and facultative anaerobic bacteria reveal the systematic enhancement of anoxic conditions during the reduced gravity periods in the presence but not in the absence of bacterial activity. The promotion of anoxic conditions under reduced gravity may lead to higher nitrous oxide and methane emissions relative to Earth conditions, on the other hand, anoxic conditions could be beneficial for perchlorate bioremediation of Martian soil. The results highlight changes in soil bacterial microhabitats under reduced gravity and the challenges of managing bioregenerative life support systems in space.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benedict Borer
- Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETHZ, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Joaquin Jimenez-Martinez
- Department of Water Resources and Drinking Water, EAWAG, Dübendorf, Switzerland. .,Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering, ETHZ, Zürich, Switzerland.
| | - Roman Stocker
- Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering, ETHZ, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Dani Or
- Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETHZ, Zürich, Switzerland
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6
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Morozov YA, Trifonov SV, Ushakova SA, Anishchenko OV, Tikhomirov AA. Feasibility of incorporating all products of human waste processing into material cycling in the BTLSS. LIFE SCIENCES IN SPACE RESEARCH 2018; 18:29-34. [PMID: 30100145 DOI: 10.1016/j.lssr.2018.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2018] [Revised: 05/05/2018] [Accepted: 05/11/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The present study addresses the ways to increase the closure of biotechnical life support systems (BTLSS) for space applications. A promising method of organic waste processing based on "wet combustion" in hydrogen peroxide developed at the IBP SB RAS to produce fertilizers for higher plants is discussed. The method is relatively compact, energy efficient, productive, and eco-friendly. However, about 4-6 g/L of recalcitrant sediment containing such essential nutrients as Ca, Mg, P, Fe, Cu, Mn, and Zn precipitates after the initial process. These elements are unavailable to plants grown hydroponically and, thus, drop out of the cycling as dead-end products. Possible methods of dissolving that sediment have been studied. Results of experiments show that the most promising method is additional oxidation of the sediment in HNO3 + H2O2. By using the new technological process, which only involves substances synthesized inside the BTLSS material flows, more than 90% of each nutrient can be converted into the form available to plants in irrigation solutions, thus returning them into the material cycling. The results obtained in this study show the efficacy of supplementing the irrigation solutions with the mineral nutrients after sediment dissolution. Lettuce plants grown as the test object on the newly prepared irrigation solutions produced the yield that was more than twice higher than the yield produced on the nutrient solutions prepared without the sediment conversion into a soluble form. Composition of the gases emitted during this process has been analyzed. Dynamics of oxidation of the small fractions of a wax-like sediment remaining after the initial sediment dissolution in HNO3 + H2O2 in the BTLSS soil-like substrate has been studied. The entire technological scheme aimed at the full inclusion of all human wastes into the BTLSS cycling has been suggested and discussed. A process scheme of including products of human waste processing in the biotic cycle of the BTLSS is discussed in the conclusion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ye A Morozov
- Institute of Biophysics SB RAS, Federal Research Center "Krasnoyarsk Science Center" SB RAS, 50/50 Akademgorodok, Krasnoyarsk 660036, Russia; Reshetnev Siberian State University of Science and Technology, 31 "Krasnoyarskiy Rabochiy" Ave., Krasnoyarsk 660037, Russia.
| | - S V Trifonov
- Institute of Biophysics SB RAS, Federal Research Center "Krasnoyarsk Science Center" SB RAS, 50/50 Akademgorodok, Krasnoyarsk 660036, Russia
| | - S A Ushakova
- Institute of Biophysics SB RAS, Federal Research Center "Krasnoyarsk Science Center" SB RAS, 50/50 Akademgorodok, Krasnoyarsk 660036, Russia
| | - O V Anishchenko
- Institute of Biophysics SB RAS, Federal Research Center "Krasnoyarsk Science Center" SB RAS, 50/50 Akademgorodok, Krasnoyarsk 660036, Russia
| | - A A Tikhomirov
- Institute of Biophysics SB RAS, Federal Research Center "Krasnoyarsk Science Center" SB RAS, 50/50 Akademgorodok, Krasnoyarsk 660036, Russia
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7
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Karouia F, Peyvan K, Pohorille A. Toward biotechnology in space: High-throughput instruments for in situ biological research beyond Earth. Biotechnol Adv 2017; 35:905-932. [PMID: 28433608 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2017.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2016] [Revised: 03/27/2017] [Accepted: 04/12/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Space biotechnology is a nascent field aimed at applying tools of modern biology to advance our goals in space exploration. These advances rely on our ability to exploit in situ high throughput techniques for amplification and sequencing DNA, and measuring levels of RNA transcripts, proteins and metabolites in a cell. These techniques, collectively known as "omics" techniques have already revolutionized terrestrial biology. A number of on-going efforts are aimed at developing instruments to carry out "omics" research in space, in particular on board the International Space Station and small satellites. For space applications these instruments require substantial and creative reengineering that includes automation, miniaturization and ensuring that the device is resistant to conditions in space and works independently of the direction of the gravity vector. Different paths taken to meet these requirements for different "omics" instruments are the subjects of this review. The advantages and disadvantages of these instruments and technological solutions and their level of readiness for deployment in space are discussed. Considering that effects of space environments on terrestrial organisms appear to be global, it is argued that high throughput instruments are essential to advance (1) biomedical and physiological studies to control and reduce space-related stressors on living systems, (2) application of biology to life support and in situ resource utilization, (3) planetary protection, and (4) basic research about the limits on life in space. It is also argued that carrying out measurements in situ provides considerable advantages over the traditional space biology paradigm that relies on post-flight data analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fathi Karouia
- University of California San Francisco, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; NASA Ames Research Center, Exobiology Branch, MS239-4, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA; NASA Ames Research Center, Flight Systems Implementation Branch, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA.
| | | | - Andrew Pohorille
- University of California San Francisco, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; NASA Ames Research Center, Exobiology Branch, MS239-4, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA.
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8
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Mora M, Mahnert A, Koskinen K, Pausan MR, Oberauner-Wappis L, Krause R, Perras AK, Gorkiewicz G, Berg G, Moissl-Eichinger C. Microorganisms in Confined Habitats: Microbial Monitoring and Control of Intensive Care Units, Operating Rooms, Cleanrooms and the International Space Station. Front Microbiol 2016; 7:1573. [PMID: 27790191 PMCID: PMC5061736 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2016.01573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2016] [Accepted: 09/20/2016] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Indoor environments, where people spend most of their time, are characterized by a specific microbial community, the indoor microbiome. Most indoor environments are connected to the natural environment by high ventilation, but some habitats are more confined: intensive care units, operating rooms, cleanrooms and the international space station (ISS) are extraordinary living and working areas for humans, with a limited exchange with the environment. The purposes for confinement are different: a patient has to be protected from infections (intensive care unit, operating room), product quality has to be assured (cleanrooms), or confinement is necessary due to extreme, health-threatening outer conditions, as on the ISS. The ISS represents the most secluded man-made habitat, constantly inhabited by humans since November 2000 – and, inevitably, also by microorganisms. All of these man-made confined habitats need to be microbiologically monitored and controlled, by e.g., microbial cleaning and disinfection. However, these measures apply constant selective pressures, which support microbes with resistance capacities against antibiotics or chemical and physical stresses and thus facilitate the rise of survival specialists and multi-resistant strains. In this article, we summarize the available data on the microbiome of aforementioned confined habitats. By comparing the different operating, maintenance and monitoring procedures as well as microbial communities therein, we emphasize the importance to properly understand the effects of confinement on the microbial diversity, the possible risks represented by some of these microorganisms and by the evolution of (antibiotic) resistances in such environments – and the need to reassess the current hygiene standards.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maximilian Mora
- Department for Internal Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz Austria
| | - Alexander Mahnert
- Institute of Environmental Biotechnology, Graz University of Technology, Graz Austria
| | - Kaisa Koskinen
- Department for Internal Medicine, Medical University of Graz, GrazAustria; BioTechMed-Graz, GrazAustria
| | - Manuela R Pausan
- Department for Internal Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz Austria
| | | | - Robert Krause
- Department for Internal Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz Austria
| | - Alexandra K Perras
- Department for Internal Medicine, Medical University of Graz, GrazAustria; Department for Microbiology, University of Regensburg, RegensburgGermany
| | - Gregor Gorkiewicz
- BioTechMed-Graz, GrazAustria; Department of Pathology, Medical University of Graz, GrazAustria
| | - Gabriele Berg
- Institute of Environmental Biotechnology, Graz University of Technology, Graz Austria
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9
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Muralidharan S, Sasi SP, Zuriaga MA, Hirschi KK, Porada CD, Coleman MA, Walsh KX, Yan X, Goukassian DA. Ionizing Particle Radiation as a Modulator of Endogenous Bone Marrow Cell Reprogramming: Implications for Hematological Cancers. Front Oncol 2015; 5:231. [PMID: 26528440 PMCID: PMC4604322 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2015.00231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2015] [Accepted: 10/01/2015] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Exposure of individuals to ionizing radiation (IR), as in the case of astronauts exploring space or radiotherapy cancer patients, increases their risk of developing secondary cancers and other health-related problems. Bone marrow (BM), the site in the body where hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) self-renewal and differentiation to mature blood cells occurs, is extremely sensitive to low-dose IR, including irradiation by high-charge and high-energy particles. Low-dose IR induces DNA damage and persistent oxidative stress in the BM hematopoietic cells. Inefficient DNA repair processes in HSC and early hematopoietic progenitors can lead to an accumulation of mutations whereas long-lasting oxidative stress can impair hematopoiesis itself, thereby causing long-term damage to hematopoietic cells in the BM niche. We report here that low-dose 1H- and 56Fe-IR significantly decreased the hematopoietic early and late multipotent progenitor (E- and L-MPP, respectively) cell numbers in mouse BM over a period of up to 10 months after exposure. Both 1H- and 56Fe-IR increased the expression of pluripotent stem cell markers Sox2, Nanog, and Oct4 in L-MPPs and 10 months post-IR exposure. We postulate that low doses of 1H- and 56Fe-IR may induce endogenous cellular reprogramming of BM hematopoietic progenitor cells to assume a more primitive pluripotent phenotype and that IR-induced oxidative DNA damage may lead to mutations in these BM progenitors. This could then be propagated to successive cell lineages. Persistent impairment of BM progenitor cell populations can disrupt hematopoietic homeostasis and lead to hematologic disorders, and these findings warrant further mechanistic studies into the effects of low-dose IR on the functional capacity of BM-derived hematopoietic cells including their self-renewal and pluripotency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sujatha Muralidharan
- Whitaker Cardiovascular Institute, Boston University School of Medicine , Boston, MA , USA
| | - Sharath P Sasi
- Cardiovascular Research Center, GeneSys Research Institute , Boston, MA , USA
| | - Maria A Zuriaga
- Whitaker Cardiovascular Institute, Boston University School of Medicine , Boston, MA , USA
| | - Karen K Hirschi
- Yale Cardiovascular Research Center, Yale School of Medicine , New Haven, CT , USA
| | - Christopher D Porada
- Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine , Winston-Salem, NC , USA
| | - Matthew A Coleman
- Radiation Oncology, School of Medicine, University of California Davis , Sacramento, CA , USA ; Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory , Livermore, CA , USA
| | - Kenneth X Walsh
- Whitaker Cardiovascular Institute, Boston University School of Medicine , Boston, MA , USA
| | - Xinhua Yan
- Cardiovascular Research Center, GeneSys Research Institute , Boston, MA , USA ; Tufts University School of Medicine , Boston, MA , USA
| | - David A Goukassian
- Whitaker Cardiovascular Institute, Boston University School of Medicine , Boston, MA , USA ; Cardiovascular Research Center, GeneSys Research Institute , Boston, MA , USA ; Tufts University School of Medicine , Boston, MA , USA
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Abstract
Recent plans for human return to the Moon have significantly elevated scientific interest in the lunar environment with emphasis on the science to be done in preparation for the return and while on the lunar surface. Since the return to the Moon is envisioned as a dedicated and potentially longer-term commitment to lunar exploration, questions of the lunar environment and particularly its impact on biology and biological systems have become a significant part of the lunar science discussion. Plants are integral to the discussion of biology on the Moon. Plants are envisioned as important components of advanced habitats and fundamental components of advanced life-support systems. Moreover, plants are sophisticated multicellular eukaryotic life-forms with highly orchestrated developmental processes, well-characterized signal transduction pathways, and exceedingly fine-tuned responses to their environments. Therefore, plants represent key test organisms for understanding the biological impact of the lunar environment on terrestrial life-forms. Indeed, plants were among the initial and primary organisms that were exposed to returned lunar regolith from the Apollo lunar missions. This review discusses the original experiments involving plants in association with the Apollo samples, with the intent of understanding those studies within the context of the first lunar exploration program and drawing from those experiments the data to inform the studies critical within the next lunar exploration science agenda.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert J Ferl
- University of Florida, Interdisciplinary Center for Biotechnology Research and the Horticultural Sciences Department, PO Box 110690, Gainesville, FL 3201-0690, USA.
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