NASA Consortium AD ASTRA (Anaerobic Digestion for Advanced Space Technology and Resource Acquisition)
NASA Consortium AD ASTRA (Anaerobic Digestion for Advanced Space Technology and Resource Acquisition)
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Intro of Missions
Intro of Missions
NASA AD ASTRA (Anaerobic Digestion for Advanced Space Technology and Resource Acquisition) is a NASA-funded research consortium developing biomanufacturing and regenerative life-support technologies for long-duration space exploration. Led by Washington University in St. Louis, the consortium brings together researchers in anaerobic digestion, microbial ecology, synthetic biology, cyanobacterial engineering, space biology, and bioprocess engineering to convert astronaut waste into useful resources for sustainable space habitats.
NASA AD ASTRA (Anaerobic Digestion for Advanced Space Technology and Resource Acquisition) is a NASA-funded research consortium developing biomanufacturing and regenerative life-support technologies for long-duration space exploration. Led by Washington University in St. Louis, the consortium brings together researchers in anaerobic digestion, microbial ecology, synthetic biology, cyanobacterial engineering, space biology, and bioprocess engineering to convert astronaut waste into useful resources for sustainable space habitats.
Research Tasks
Research Tasks
Develop and characterize an efficient AD process that can convert waste from humans in space into volatile fatty acids (VFAs) rather than methane (CH4). We will optimize chemical inhibitors or oxygen concentrations to limit methanogenesis, with acetate as the final output.
Engineer and characterize cyanobacterial strains (Synechococcus elongatus UTEX 2973 (S2973)) and their coculture with heterotrophs that can use AD-processed wastewater and CO2 to produce oxygen (O2), protein-rich biomass as a food source, polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) polymers like polylactic acid (PLA), and natural products such as β-carotene.
Understand how simulated low gravity affects microbial AD and VFA production, as well as the phototrophic metabolisms of workhorses during bioproduction.
Meet the PI Team
Meet the PI Team
Professor
Cyanobacterial engineering and Synthetic Biology
Washington University in St. Louis
Meet the Key Personnel Team
Meet the Key Personnel Team
Shrameeta R. Shinde, Postdoc
Shrameeta R. Shinde, Postdoc
Washington University in St. Louis
Her research focuses on understanding the metabolic capabilities of diverse microbial chassis and leveraging them for applications including space biomanufacturing. In addition, I provide scientific mentorship and research guidance to junior members of the laboratory.
Soumila Mondal, Postdoc
Soumila Mondal, Postdoc
Washington University in St. Louis
She will work on photosynthetic organism such as cyanobacteria, to enhance metabolic efficiency, induce stress tolerance, and enable the sustainable biosynthesis of high-value bioproducts.
Eunseo Lee, PhD
Eunseo Lee, PhD
Washington University in St. Louis
She will study the anaerobic digestion and bioproduction in space conditions (vacuum, low temperature, etc.) with different yeast, microbial and cyanobacterial species.
Zhine Wang, Postdoc
Zhine Wang, Postdoc
Saint Louis University
He will work on microbial communities and their functional traits related to methanogenesis
Millie Savage, Research Assistant
Millie Savage, Research Assistant
Lincoln University of Missouri
She will serve a research assistant in Dr. Tang's Lab to help with the anaerobic digestion and bioproduction of this project.
Travis Barrett, Research Assistant
Travis Barrett, Research Assistant
Lincoln University of Missouri
Research interests include bioproduction of heterotrophic microbes, phototrophic microbes, and eukaryotic organisms in space conditions.
Hannah Robers, PhD
Hannah Robers, PhD
University of Florida
She iresearch interests include characterizing and optimizing microbial biomanufacturing in variable gravity levels, and implementing microbial biomanufacturing into bioregenerative life support systems
Grace M. Halferty, PhD
Grace M. Halferty, PhD
University of Florida
She will work on space synthetic biology and the use of robotics and/or novel manufacturing techniques to address challenges across space exploration, biology, and medicine
Jackson Bland, PhD
Jackson Bland, PhD
University of Florida
He is responsible for engineering the mixotroph C. necator to produce high-quality p(LA) biopolymers from VFAs provided via anaerobic digest.
Richa Guleria, Postdoc
Richa Guleria, Postdoc
University of Delaware
She will work on 'Engineering yeast for improved coculture applications and formation of desired products
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