So this will be where I'll communicate with people about adventures working at JSC and living in the Houston metro area from January 25th through May 7th. Although this blog will hopefully be an easier and less annoying way than constant emails to keep in touch with everyone in Seattle/Anchorage during these coming 15 weeks, it will also serve as a journal of sorts. Considering this, the posts might be less than exciting when they are written, but fun to read when I'm 80.
You are cordially invited...
WHAT: Internship in the lab of Dr. Igor Broun. Continuation of research into developing feasible life support systems for long term lunar exploration and habitation by utilizing oxygen producing cyanobacteria.
WHERE: Johnson Space Center in Houston, TX (or more accurately, Clear Lake City)
WHEN: January 25th - May 7th
WHO: Me
BYOB!!!
WHERE: Johnson Space Center in Houston, TX (or more accurately, Clear Lake City)
WHEN: January 25th - May 7th
WHO: Me
BYOB!!!
For those who might be interested, here's the formal description of the project:
Bio-processing of lunar regolith: application for lunar habitation
The overall goal of this proposal is to develop and test an innovative bio-processing system for air regeneration and the extraction of different elements based on bioleaching of lunar regolith by litholitic cyanobacteria. It is believed that this process will be extended for re-filling Biological Life Support Systems (BLSSs), propellant production, and re-utilization of terrestrial organic compounds. The general idea of this proposal is based on the well-known ability of different group of microorganisms to leach (dissolve) minerals, rocks, and glasses by biomolecules secreted by microorganisms, e.g. organic acids and exopolymeric substances. Litholitic cyanobacteria seem to be almost ideal for extraterrestrial bioleaching because they are autophototrophic organisms which mainly require light, inorganic carbon, and some chemical elements for their proliferation, and they are able to secret organic acids. Moreover, we believe that many elements in lunar regolith can be used for the cultivation of cyanobacteria on the Moon using any sources of water, including gray waters, generated by future colonists. The major objective of this proposal is to develop an effective biotechnological process of the cultivation of cyanobacteria using lunar regolith as a source of bioelements. The excess of elements, e.g. O, released from regolith, along with O2 photosynthesized by cyanobacteria, will be used for biological air revitalization, while different released elements, e.g. Fe, Ti, Al, Si, Mn, Ni, etc., can be utilized for other purposes. Unleached regolith enriched with organic matter produced by cyanobacteria can be used for soil manufacturing. We presume that bioleaching of lunar regolith will be more ecologically friendly than their chemical leaching with sulfuric acid and will work as a beneficial component with lower environmental risk for both ISRU and life support systems. Anticipated results of this project will be very useful to merge three independent systems, namely in situ resources retrieving, BLSSs, and the re-utilization of waste of different origin within an integrated system to sustain human exploration of the Moon.
Bio-processing of lunar regolith: application for lunar habitation
The overall goal of this proposal is to develop and test an innovative bio-processing system for air regeneration and the extraction of different elements based on bioleaching of lunar regolith by litholitic cyanobacteria. It is believed that this process will be extended for re-filling Biological Life Support Systems (BLSSs), propellant production, and re-utilization of terrestrial organic compounds. The general idea of this proposal is based on the well-known ability of different group of microorganisms to leach (dissolve) minerals, rocks, and glasses by biomolecules secreted by microorganisms, e.g. organic acids and exopolymeric substances. Litholitic cyanobacteria seem to be almost ideal for extraterrestrial bioleaching because they are autophototrophic organisms which mainly require light, inorganic carbon, and some chemical elements for their proliferation, and they are able to secret organic acids. Moreover, we believe that many elements in lunar regolith can be used for the cultivation of cyanobacteria on the Moon using any sources of water, including gray waters, generated by future colonists. The major objective of this proposal is to develop an effective biotechnological process of the cultivation of cyanobacteria using lunar regolith as a source of bioelements. The excess of elements, e.g. O, released from regolith, along with O2 photosynthesized by cyanobacteria, will be used for biological air revitalization, while different released elements, e.g. Fe, Ti, Al, Si, Mn, Ni, etc., can be utilized for other purposes. Unleached regolith enriched with organic matter produced by cyanobacteria can be used for soil manufacturing. We presume that bioleaching of lunar regolith will be more ecologically friendly than their chemical leaching with sulfuric acid and will work as a beneficial component with lower environmental risk for both ISRU and life support systems. Anticipated results of this project will be very useful to merge three independent systems, namely in situ resources retrieving, BLSSs, and the re-utilization of waste of different origin within an integrated system to sustain human exploration of the Moon.
So that's what's up with me. More to follow eventually...
Thanks!
- Hannah
Thanks!
- Hannah
No comments:
Post a Comment