cluster: creative lunar utilization systems to transform extraterrestrial regolith nasa ames academy...
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CLUSTER:CLUSTER:Creative Lunar Utilization Systems Creative Lunar Utilization Systems to Transform Extraterrestrial to Transform Extraterrestrial RegolithRegolith
NASA AMES ACADEMY 2009NASA AMES ACADEMY 2009
MOTIVATIONS:
• To aid the current plan to travel to the Moon and Mars
• ISRU will decrease several aspects of a mission:
• Mass
• Cost
• Risk
18 SEPTEMBER 2009 NASA AMES ACADEMY
SCENARIO:
• On the Moon
• Fully Controlled Environment/Ventilation
• Using microbes to create a more hospitable growth environment for plants
18 SEPTEMBER 2009 NASA AMES ACADEMY
GOALS:• Acidity:
• To determine whether acidophilic microbes will free up the elements needed to grow plants in lunar regolith simulant
• Plants:
• To determine whether microbial co-cultures have improved the habitability of the regolith simulant environment
18 SEPTEMBER 2009 NASA AMES ACADEMY
ACIDITY:ACIDITY:USING ACIDOPHILES TO RELEASE USING ACIDOPHILES TO RELEASE ELEMENTS IN REGOLITH ELEMENTS IN REGOLITH
MICROBE CULTURE:
• Co-culture of Cyanidium caldarium (red alga) and Ferroplasma acidarmanus (archaean) with media mixture of nutrients (thrive in low pH and 40°C)
• Control Group 1 (regolith slurry with HCL)
• Control Group 2 (regolith slurry with DDI water)
18 SEPTEMBER 2009 NASA AMES ACADEMY
pH tended towards neutrality in all samples
RESULTS:
18 SEPTEMBER 2009 NASA AMES ACADEMY
Conclusions• Rising pH undermined effort to produce optimal
growth environment for microbes• Results inconclusive
•Need to perform additional chemical tests for analysis
Future Studies• Maintain more favorable environment by cycling acid• Measure micronutrient concentration using advanced
soil fertility tests
RESULTS:
18 SEPTEMBER 2009 NASA AMES ACADEMY
PLANT GROWTH:PLANT GROWTH:MODIFYING REGOLITH MODIFYING REGOLITH FOR PLANT CULTIVATIONFOR PLANT CULTIVATION
PAENIBACILLUS POLYMYXA 9a
• A root-colonizing bacteria that increases plant strength, growth, and yield (rhizobacteria)
• Similar microbe: Paenibacillus sp. IMBG 156 was shown to release elements such as iron, silicon, and potassium when inoculated in an anorthosite substrate (Kozyrovska et al. 2006)
• Inoculation was shown to make plants more resistant to drought conditions or abiotic stress
18 SEPTEMBER 2009 NASA AMES ACADEMY
NOSTOC• Can survive in a desiccated state for months or even
years and recover after re-hydration
• Fixes atmospheric N2 in the presence of O2
ARABIDOPSIS THALIANA• Ideal Test Specimen
• Rapid life cycle
• Small size
• Small genome fully characterized
• Easily modified18 SEPTEMBER 2009 NASA AMES
ACADEMY
EXPERIMENTAL SETUP:Seeds:
Soil:
Y
N
Y
Y
N
Y
Control
(0 microbes)
Growth
media
DI water
Growth
media
DI water
DI water
Growth
media
Paenibacillus
polymyxa (1
microbe)
P. polymyxa
DI water
P. polymyxa
P. polymyxa
DI water
P. polymyxa
Paenibacillus
polymyxa &
Nostoc
(2 microbes)
P. polymyxa
DI water
P. polymyxa
P. Polymyxa
& Nostoc
DI water
P. Polymyxa
& Nostoc
Seeds:
Soil:
N
N
Control
(0 microbes)
DI water
DI water
18 SEPTEMBER 2009 NASA AMES ACADEMY
OBSERVATIONS• Two forms of growth not
expected:• White, fibrous
growth on three samples
• White flecks on at least 2 samples
• Changes in top layer of regolith:
• Lighter, cake-like texture
• Occured SOLELY in experiments NOT inoculated with microbes18 SEPTEMBER 2009 NASA AMES
ACADEMY
CAKE-LIKE LAYER
WHITE FLAKES
18 SEPTEMBER 2009 NASA AMES ACADEMY
PHOSPHOLIPID FATTY ACID• Key component the cell membrane
• Decompose quickly upon cell death
• Test evaluates concentration of the six structural groups of PLFA in the surviving microbes
• Expected results:
•Co-cultures will demonstrate more microbial growth than single cultures
•Contaminated samples will be identified
18 SEPTEMBER 2009 NASA AMES ACADEMY
SOIL FERTILITY TESTING
• Uses a commercially available kit: Forestry Suppliers’ Soil Analysis FIELD Kit
• Detects basic nutrients: Nitrogen, Potassium, and Phosphorus levels in soil
• Expected results: Soil samples that have had microbes growing will have higher concentrations on these necessary nutrients
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• Trial to determine optimal slurry composition
• Added microbes and incubated, covered, for 3 weeks
EVIDENCE OF GROWTH
MICROGRAPH OF TRIAL SLURRY FLUORESCENT MICROGRAPH OF TRIAL SLURRY
REGOLITH NOSTOC
18 SEPTEMBER 2009 NASA AMES ACADEMY
DISCUSSION:DISCUSSION:CONCLUSIONS AND FUTURECONCLUSIONS AND FUTURE
FUTURE STUDY
• Perform study to determine optimal time between inoculating and planting seeds (abandoned due to time constraints)
• Perform the experiments using different co-cultures
• Conduct tests to determine a more optimal slurry mixture/slurry creation technique
• Perform the experiments again using a food producing plant such as wheat
18 SEPTEMBER 2009 NASA AMES ACADEMY
Jon RaskJon RaskYuri GrikoYuri Griko
Matt ReyesMatt ReyesLee BeboutLee BeboutBrad BaileyBrad Bailey
Anita MantriAnita MantriBrad BeboutBrad BeboutPete WordenPete WordenChris McKayChris McKay
Erin TranfieldErin TranfieldErich FlemingErich FlemingKristina GibbsKristina Gibbs
Orlando SantosOrlando SantosEduardo AlmeidaEduardo AlmeidaLockheed MartinLockheed Martin
Lunar Science Institute Lunar Science InstituteCalifornia Space AuthorityCalifornia Space AuthorityTHANK YOU:THANK YOU:
SPECIAL THANKS TO:California Space Grant
Alabama Space Grant
New York Space Grant
Florida Space Grant
Kentucky Space Grant
Massachusetts Space Grant
Hawaii Space Grant
Texas Space Grant
Michigan Space Grant
JAXA
QUESTIONS?QUESTIONS?