9/4/2026: Monthly meeting

Participator:  Elison, Yinjie, Laibin, Amor, Himadri, Nils, Luke, Mark; Zhine, Grace, Ying, Gauri, Hannah, Soumila, Richa, Eunseo,Jackson.

Group report from each university and discuss the Florida project annual review on 10/20/2026. 

• Yingjie's group

--Eunseo: metabolic analysis of Co-culture yeast and cyanobacteria [UTEX 2973 cscB+yeast] using hydrogel and 13C lebling methods. She will check the stress tolerance intra-celluar metabolomics and sucrose production and consumption.

• Laibin's group update the work related to the inhibition study setup on CH4 production--Test the BES, H2O2, and C2H2 inhibitors on CH4 production. We collect the gas samples at day 2, 4, and 7. the bio-sludge samples will be used to do metabolomic analysis. 

• Amor's group updated the work related to AD in microgravity and coculture work:

   ----sucrose production form S. elongatus UTEX 2976 w/BG-11 medium 

   ---V. natriegens growth test in BG-11

   ---AD RPM experiment design

   ----34H microgravity motility: primer test, RT-qPCR and soft agar motility test 

• Nils's group updated the work related to production of PLA using different types of C. necator. (PHB, 3HB+3HV, 3HB+3HV, 4HB) and the strain engineering pipeline. the result showed that the quality is not high but they get two new strains. Have some issue to be fixed. 

• Mark's group updated the work related to engineering Pichia pastoris and Yarrowia lipolytica [JM23 SUC2] 

---Promoter design for G-CSF_CYC1T: Cassette 1 GEV expression, Cassette2.....

--Finding minimal pAOX1 region and cloning GFP downstream minimal pAOX1 promoter

• Himadri's group updated coculture-vibrio Natriegens-synechococcus elongatus (2973-CscB) work related to Melanin production for space environments

--Growth curve in monoculture and co-culture: S2973 grow better than V. natriegens in both Monoculture and co-culture

melanin production in Monoculture is better than co-culture. 

--photo-mixotrophic cultivation: acetate for improved growth of cyanobacteria: cyanothece sp. PCC 7424 has a functional glyoxylate shunt. Acetate increased biomass accumulation under 12 h light /12 h dark cycles. 

8/7/2026: Monthly meeting

Participator:  Elison, Yinjie, Laibin, Amor, Himadri, Nils, Zhine, Grace, Ying, Gauri,Hannah, Soumila, Richa,  Jackson.

Group report from each university and discuss the manuscripts in preparation. 

• Nils's group updated the work related to production of PLA using different types of C. necator. (PHB, 3HB+3HV, 3HB+3HV, 4HB)

• Amor's group updated the work related to AD ASTRA Co-cultures--E.coli+S. elongatus UTEC 2973+BG11 [E.coli didn't grow in BG11 media with sucrose] under different Tm: 30 and 37 C; 

----think about to try co-culture: V.natriegens+S.elongatus; 

---Restrart HARV experiments for S. elongatus UTEC 2973 to quantify growth and sucrose production in microgravity (1G and uG)

---34H microgravity motility experimen

---AD microgravity experiment design

• Yingjie's group

--Shrameeta: Black fungi in deep space. metabolic profiling analysis

--Ying: update the metabolite analysis for 34H biomass in rich medium and optimized medium and PHB yield under N limitation condition.

• Himadri's group updated coculture-vibrio Natriegens-synechococcus elongatus (2973-CscB) work related to Melanin production for space environments

--melanin production via a S. elongatus-V. natriegens consortium. Genome integration of tyr1 variant in Vibrio natriegens.

--effects of IPTG induction on melanin production: genome integrated vs replicative tyr1: different production

--effects of L-tyrosine availability on Melanin production

• Laibin's group update the work related to the inhibition study setup on CH4 production--Test the BES inhibitors on CH4 production.

• Mark's group updated the work related to engineering Pichia pastoris and Yarrowia lipolytica [JM23 SUC2] for food ingredients (beta-carotene) and therapeutics (GCSF):

---transcription factor will be use to induce G-CSF expression: Gal4-DBA+ER-LBD+VP-16-AD

--construciton of GEV expression cassette-->Assembliing GEV chimeric transcription factor downstream of pTEF

7/10/2026: Monthly meeting

Participator:   Laibin, Himadri, Amor, Nils, luke, Eunseo, Grace, Hannah, Ying, Zhine; Soumila, Richa,  Jackson, Emily.

Group report from each university and discuss the manuncripts in preparation. 

• Yingjie's group--Eunseo: update the metabolic analysis for co-culture work. 

• Yingjie's group--Ying: update the freeze recovery in rich medium for 34H.

• Amor's group updated the work related to AD ASTRA Co-cultures--E.coli+S. elongatus UTEC 2973+BG11 [E.coli didn't grow in BG11 media with sucrose]; AD Microgravity design in progress; 34H microgravity motility experiment.

• Nils's group updated the work related to dehydrogenase and production of D-LA using different types of C. necator.

• Mark's group updated the work related to engineering Pichia pastoris and Yarrowia lipolytica [JM23 SUC2] for food ingredients and therapeutics. (2% sucrose+YNB media test+clone selection+GEV expression)

• Himadri's group updated coculture-vibrio Natriegens-synechococcus elongatus (2973-CscB) work related to Melanin production for space environments

  1. light+CO2-->sucrose-->V.natriegens growth-->melanin

  2. assessment of V.natriegens growth in BG11 media. (Monoculture + Co-culture at 35 ℃ with sucrose, 1% CO2+ 250mM NaCl)

• Laibin's group update the work related to the inhibition study setup on CH4 production--still waiting the inhibitors and N2 gas to come. 

6/05/2026: Monthly meeting

Participator:   Laibin, Himadri, Amor, Nils, luke, Shrameeta, Eunseo, Grace, Hannah, Ying, Gauri; Zhine; Soumila, Richa,  Jackson.

Group report from each university and discuss the manuncripts in preparation and the final annual report. 

• Yingjie's group--Eunseo: presented hydrogel coculture (elongatus UTEC 2973 cscB and yeast) in Medium YNB and BG-11. 

• Yingjie's group--Ying: update the manuscripts about 34H.

• Laibin's group update the work related to the abundance of bacteria, archaea and methanogenesis in sludge samples got from Luke's Lab in May 2026 and plan to do the inhibition study on CH4 production in human waste samples. 

• Himadri's group updated coculture-vibrio Natriegens-synechococcus elongatus work related to Melanin production for space environments--generation of vibrio natriegens transformats for melanin production under different conditions and coculture system.

• Amor's group updated the work related to 1) co-culture [C. necator+E.coli; S. elongatus UTEX 2973+E.coli,....] under different conditions and microgravity condition; 2) AS sldge RPM experiment design; 3)34H microgravity experiment; 4)bioreactors for alternative feedstock based biomaufacturing--waste recovery--permeate water for microbial biomaunfacturing+growth of plant--BT-R1 and R2 tanks;

• Mark's group presented the work related to engineering Pichia pastoris and Yarrowia lipolytica [JM23 SUC2]--assembly of SUC2 pathway genes in homology vector for sucrose utilization. 

• Nils's group updated the work related to strain engineering for C. necator strains producing p(LA-co-3HP) production.--testing dehydrogenase and production of PLA (No) and P3HBs (Yes).

5/01/2026: Monthly meeting

Participator:   Yinjie, Laibin, Amor, Himadri, luke, Nils, Mark, Eunseo, Grace, Hannah, Ying, Gauri; Shrameeta, Soumila, Richa,  Jackson.

Group report from each university and discuss the manuncripts in preparation and the final annual report. 

• Yingjie's group--Eunseo: presented pipeline RAG for questions--Chatbot build in python using Qwen2 AI. 

• Yingjie's group--Ying: update the manuscripts in preparation.

• Himadri's group updated vibrio Natriegens work related to Melanin production for space environments--developing microbial UV shields in different conditions: inoculum size tyrosine, sucrose, NaCl. Synechococcus elongatus-Vibrio natriegens co-culture work

• Laibin's group update the work related to the taxonomy of bacteria, archaea and methanogenesis in sludge samples got from Luke's Lab. 

• Mark's group presented the work related to engineering Pichia pastoris and Yarrowia lipolytica [JM23 SUC2]--integration of AGT1 in Y. lipolytica JM23 SUC2 genome. AGT1 and SUC2i intergration in genome of P. pastoris for G-CSF or β-carotene

• Amor's group updated the work related to 1) S.elonatus/Ecoli co-culture [e.g., growth on LB, with/without sucrose]; 2) sludge setup for Microgravity 3) space LIFE BOOST

• Nils's group updated the work related to strain engineering for C. necator strains producing p(LA) and PHAs.--grow the strain to see if this strain will produce PHAs. 

4/03/2026: Monthly meeting

Participator:  Blancaflor, Elison B.[program manager]  Yinjie, Laibin, Amor, Himadri, luke, Eunseo, Grace, Ying, Gauri; Shrameeta, Soumila, Millie, Richa,  Nils, Mark, Jackson.

Group report from each university. 

• Laibin's group update the work related to methanogenesis-[Methanothrix] in sludge samples got from Luke's Lab. 

• Yingjie's group--Eunseo: presented Hydrogel Co-culture study-Yeast and Knowledge graph on AD enhancement with Algae 

• Yingjie's group--Ying: presented Microgravity stimulation study about the growth of C. psychrerythraea 34H, exhibiting gravity-independent growth 

• Himadri's group updated vibrio Natriegens work related to Melanin production for space environments--inoculum size [the higher the better], tyrosine concentration [test under 0-0.4 mg/ml], sucrose concentration [test under 0-10 g/L], salt concentration [test under 0-5%]. 

• Mark's group presented the work related to engineering Pichia pastoris and Yarrowia lipolytica [JM23 SUC2]--integration of AGT1 in Y. lipolytica JM23 SUC2 genome. AGT1 and SUC2i intergration in genome of P. pastoris for G-CSF or β-carotene

• Amor's group updated the work related to AD models [S[ace Life Boost--ML, empirical linear regression modle, ADM1]. 

• Nils's group updated the work related to strain engineering for C. necator strains producing p(LA) and PHAs.--integrated ΔdldC and ΔphaC1 re::1310 and ΔA0006.

3/06/2026: Monthly meeting

Participator:  Yinjie, Laibin, Amor, Himadri, Nils, Mark, luke, Eunseo, Grace, Ying, Gauri; Shrameeta, Soumila, Millie, Jackson, Richa.

Group report from each university. 

• Yingjie's group presented C. psychrerythraea 34H can grow under low gravity and they also found that hydrogel supports the growth of co culture [cyanobacteria UTEX2973+yeast] under salt stress [350 mM]

• Himadri's group updated vibrio Natriegens work related to Melanin production under different Tyrosine and Sucrose concentrations and different Salt concentrations [0.5% is the best]. 

• Laibin's group update the work related to sequencing, bacteria, archaea, methanogenesis in sludge samples got from Luke's Lab. 

• Mark's group presented the work related to engineering Yarrowia lipolytica for intracellular sucrose uptake 

• Amor's group updated the work related to optimizing APMBR [Anaerobic–Phototrophic Membrane Bioreactor ] medium for the growth of C. psychrerythraea 34H under micro Gravity conditions. They also identify the possible growth inhibitor--NO3, NH4.

• Nils's group updated the work related to strain engineering for C. necator strains producing p(LA) and PHAs.

• Hurisso's team is planning to send students to SLU or WashU for this projects 

Elison's comments: Interests in Melanin production; think about the Microgravity test using APMBR products.

2/06/2026: Monthly meeting

Participator: Blancaflor, Elison B.[program manager]  Yinjie, Laibin, Amor, Himadri, Nils, Mark, Tunsisa, luke, Zhine, Eunseo, Grace, Ying, Hannah, Shrameeta, Soumila, Millie, Jackson, Richa.

Group report from each university. 

• Yingjie's group presented C. psychrerythraea 34H can produce PHB using wastewater and CO2 under low Tm and high salt condition. 

• Himadri's group presented Synechococcus elongatus utex 2973 work [sucrose production] and vibrio Natriegens work [tyrosine and Melanin production]

• Laibin's group presented the work related to the abundance of methanogenesis in sludge samples got from Luke's Lab. 

• Mark's group presented the work related to Pichia Pastoris, Yarrowia lipolytica [yeast species] growing with cyanobacteria to produce b-carotene and therapeutics

• Nils's group presented the work related to C. necator strains producing p(LA) and PHAs

• Amor's group presented the work related to gravity effects [1G*uG] on C. psychrerythraea 34H growth and PHB production.

• Hurisso's team will start to send students to SLU or WashU for this projects 

• DARPAConnect St. Louis Regional Pop-Up event: https://events.bizzabo.com/StLouisPop-Up

• Elison's comments: Interests in Melanin production; think about the Microgravity test using APMBR products.

1/09/2026: Monthly meeting

Participator: Blancaflor, Elison B.[program manager]  Yinjie, Laibin, Amor, Himadri, Nils, Mark, Tunsisa, luke, Zhine, Eunseo, Grace, Ying, Hannah, Shrameeta, Anindita, Soumila, Millie, Jackson, Richa.

• We have group report from each university. 

• Laibin and Amor's Lab received the sludge sample from Luke's Lab on 12/29/2025

• We discussed gravity test using Luke sludge sample in Amor's Lab this year

12/12/2025: Weekly meeting

Participator: Yinjie, Laibin, Amor, Luke, Grace, Hannah, Shrameeta.

Luke will mail some biomass [around 500 ml from each reactor with ice] to both Amor's and Laibin's Lab soon. Ice will keep them alive without much activity during shipping and work for further inoculation. 

Luke please also provide us the information about the conditions of each reactor if possible [big thanks].

Something we need to do: 

1. @Shinde, Shrameeta Ravindra would you mind sending the mailing address to Luke, I will grab the samples from your lab once getting here.

2. @Halferty, Grace; @Roberts,Hannah

1. once you do the gravity test, please take some gas sample before and after, and analyze CH4 in GC as soon as possible [within 3 days].

2. After you finished the gravity test, then ship these samples with dry ice to my lab; we will do nutrient analysis and PHA analysis

11/07/2025: Monthly meeting

Participator: Yinjie, Laibin, Amor, Himadri, Nils, Mark, Tunsisa, Zhine, Eunseo, Grace, Ying, Hannah, Shrameeta, Anindita.

1. We have group report from each university. 

2. We continuously discuss to have a plan B for the microgravity test and we will have plan B in Amor's lab

3. Several groups will attend the "American Society for Gravitational and Space Research. 2025 Conference" at Phoenix, Arizona - December 3-6 · 2O25. please check the conference web: https://asgsr.org/asgsr-2025-phoenix/ 

10/24/2025: Weekly meeting

Participator: Yinjie, Laibin, Grace, Millie, Hannah, Shrameeta.

1. We discuss to have a plan B for the microgravity test if Luke's lab is still closed due to the government shutdown.

2. We also discuss opportunity to open AI class in Lincoln University.

10/3/2025: Monthly meeting

Participator: Yinjie, Laibin, Amor, Himadri, Nils, Mark, Tunsisa, Zhine, Eunseo, Grace, Ying, Hannah, Anindita.

1. We have group report from each university. The monthly report will be uploaded here soon. 

2. We discussed the annual report format

9/30/2025: group meeting

Participator: Yinjie, Laibin, Luke, Amor, Grace, Hannah, Ying, Shrameeta

Below are some notes Grace took during the meeting 

AD ASTRA Protocol Meeting 

 Dr. Laibin Huang 

• • • Get biomass from Luke's lab at the end of the year  

    • Quantify function gene related to methane production 

    • Get DNA extraction from biomass and quantify group related to methane production 

    • Also quantify community not related to methane production 

    • Try to inoculate biomass into new AD chamber 

    • Inoculate in wastewater medium  

• • Dr. Amor Menezes 

    • AD in microgravity environment 

      • Taking some of Luke's biomass, inoculate  

      • Put in HARVs, etc. 

    • Modify DECODER, use container that flushes N2 only through 

    • Characterize gas by collecting gas with syringe 

    • Sucrose producing cyanos and E. coli co-culture with wastewater in RPM  

      • Might need to use gas permeable bags 

    • Get complete characterization 

    • Use dry ice to ship biomass to Dr. Huang's Lab for microbial community characterization

    • Get DECODER ready for AD – scale it up 

  • Preliminary experiment to show everything grows together  

  • Previously shown E. coli to produce beta-carotene 

  • Run samples for 10 days in whatever microgravity environment (lunar, Martian, microgravity) 

  • Want to do at larger volume since HARV is only 10 ml 

  • Hope to not see as much stratification in microgravity 

• • Dr. Luke Roberson 

    • Sending separate samples to both Dr. Huang and UF 

    • Getting APMBR System back up and running, likely ready in November 

    • April/May system in North Dakota for human waste

9/19/2025: Weekly meeting

Participator: Yinjie, Laibin, Luke, Eunseo, Grace, Ying.

4. Zhine, from Laibin's group will follow up the biomass shipping from Luke's Lab.

5. We discussed to measure the VFA production in the Anaerobic digestion reactor using LC-MS in Lincoln university, MO. 

6. We may need to plan come down to NASA Kennedy Space Center [Luke's lab] or other C-PI at University of Florida this coming spring 2026. 

9/3/2025: First Research progress meeting

The agenda for this meeting 

7. Check the update websites https://sites.google.com/d/1YyxcYS8RgjEa1d8j8dPnTMdIdQHnOMsj/p/1GDRQYurTSH_Ezgri4yebFZx02ZKNjYCD/edit 

8. Dr. Tang introduc a potenial funding opportunity: https://www.onr.navy.mil/organization/departments/code-34/division-342/biotechnology-naval-applications 

9. Each PI team updates the work have been done so far.

8/13/2025: First Kickoff meeting

The agenda for this meeting

1. Short introduction of your lab and team (2-3 mins)

2. Check the task book and annual report requirements—lead by Laibin

3. Quick check the project website draft—lead by Laibin: https://sites.google.com/view/nasaadastra/home 

4. Go through the Tasks/objectives—lead by Yinjie. 

5. Plans—lead by Yinjie

6. Others—Set up next meeting and meet the program manager