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Results for “Bioprocessing”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1976

Bioprocessing development: Immune/cellular applications: Anti-Ig autoantibody and complement-mediated destruction of neoplastic cells

This space bioprocessing contract effort was comprised of four general objectives. These were: (1) the evaluation of current separation processes, (2) the identification of problems relevant to the separation of important biologicals, (3) the identification of ground-based assay methods needed for pre- and postflight analysis of space bioprocessing separation technology; and (4) the establishment of methods to determine the efficiency of space bioprocessing separation procedures. Immunology was deemed advantageous to study the diversity of cells and cell products involved and the extensive interest being given to their separation. Upon recognition of a cellular or molecular agent as foreign to the body, the immune system becomes activated to produce cells whose function is to destroy that agent and cell products whose function is to inactivate the agent and assist in its destruction. Long after the agent is removed from the body, some cells remain in a state of readiness to continue these destructive actions specifically against that agent should further exposure to it occur. This is the basis of acquired immunity to disease.

Twomey, J. J.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Integrated study plan for space bioprocessing (phase 1)

Current economic evaluation and analytical techniques are applied to decision problems faced by the space bioprocessing program. NASA decision makers are enabled to choose candidate substances, after ranking them according to their potential economic benefit. The determination of appropriate evaluation techniques necessary to obtain measures of potential economic benefits which result from the pursuit of various space bioprocessing endeavors are focused upon. The treatment of each disease is impacted by a successful outcome of space bioprocessing and specify data and other input needs for each candidate substance.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2010

Electrochemical Detection of Multiple Bioprocess Analytes

An apparatus that includes highly miniaturized thin-film electrochemical sensor array has been demonstrated as a prototype of instruments for simultaneous detection of multiple substances of interest (analytes) and measurement of acidity or alkalinity in bioprocess streams. Measurements of pH and of concentrations of nutrients and wastes in cell-culture media, made by use of these instruments, are to be used as feedback for optimizing the growth of cells or the production of desired substances by the cultured cells. The apparatus is designed to utilize samples of minimal volume so as to minimize any perturbation of monitored processes. The apparatus can function in a potentiometric mode (for measuring pH), an amperometric mode (detecting analytes via oxidation/reduction reactions), or both. The sensor array is planar and includes multiple thin-film microelectrodes covered with hydrous iridium oxide. The oxide layer on each electrode serves as both a protective and electrochemical transducing layer. In its transducing role, the oxide provides electrical conductivity for amperometric measurement or pH response for potentiometric measurement. The oxide on an electrode can also serve as a matrix for one or more enzymes that render the electrode sensitive to a specific analyte. In addition to transducing electrodes, the array includes electrodes for potential control. The array can be fabricated by techniques familiar to the microelectronics industry. The sensor array is housed in a thin-film liquid-flow cell that has a total volume of about 100 mL. The flow cell is connected to a computer-controlled subsystem that periodically draws samples from the bioprocess stream to be monitored. Before entering the cell, each 100-mL sample is subjected to tangential-flow filtration to remove particles. In the present version of the apparatus, the electrodes are operated under control by a potentiostat and are used to simultaneously measure the pH and the concentration of glucose. It is anticipated that development of procedures for trapping more enzymes into hydrous iridium oxide (and possibly into other electroactive metal oxides) and of means for imparting long-term stability to the transducer layers should make it possible to monitor concentrations of products of many enzyme reactions for example, such key bioprocess analytes as amino acids, vitamins, lactose, and acetate.

Rauh, R. David↗
NASA NTRS1994

Commercial investigation results for the generic bioprocessing apparatus flown on United States Microgravity Laboratory-1

The Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus (BPA) payload was developed by BioServe to support the commercial flight development needs of our specialized consortia comprised of business, academic, and government entities. The consortia have commitments to explore commercial opportunities in bioprocessing, biomedical models, and closed agricultural systems. In addition, some members of BioServe have interests in the development and/or qualification of enabling flight hardware used in life sciences space flight testing. Some business and academic entities have interests in more than one of these consortia. To aid in payload development, flight, and analysis, each consortium member contributes resources ranging from proprietary expertise and materials, to hardware and cash. Professionals from business, academia, and government often interact with each other via graduate research assistants who do much of the 'hands-on' payload preparation and subsequent data analyses. The GBA supported research, testing, and development activities for each different BioServe consortium. It produced an environment in which professionals from diverse backgrounds came together with a single focus. And, it provided a truly novel learning environment for a youthful new cadre of space professionals committed to the exploration of commercial opportunities presented by space. Since the GBA supported a large number of different experiments, this paper briefly describes the payload characteristics and the essential operations of the payload. A summary of the experiments is presented. Finally, a few of the experiments are described in detail highlighting some novel effects of space flight on life science systems. Portions of the reported work have or will appear in appropriate archival journals as cited in the bibliography. In several instances, data collected from USML-1 have been supplemented with related data collected on more recent STS missions.

Stodieck, Louis S.↗
NASA NTRS1976

Bioprocessing in space

Space processing accomplishments onboard Skylab and Apollo Soyuz are reviewed. Possible applications of bioprocessing experiments to be carried on space shuttles and Spacelab are explored.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1977

Bioprocessing in Space

Proceedings are presented of the 1976 NASA Colloquium on bioprocessing in space. The program included general sessions and formal presentations on the following topics: NASA's Space Shuttle, Spacelab, and space-processing programs; the known unusual behavior of materials in space; space-processing experiment results; cell biology, gravity sensors in cells, space electrophoresis of living cells, new approaches to biosynthesis of biologicals from cell culture in space, and zero-g fermentation concepts; and upcoming flight opportunities and industrial application planning studies already underway.

Morrison, D. R.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Candidate substances for space bioprocessing methodology and data specification for benefit evaluation

Analytical and quantitative economic techniques are applied to the evaluation of the economic benefits of a wide range of substances for space bioprocessing. On the basis of expected clinical applications, as well as the size of the patient that could be affected by the clinical applications, eight substances are recommended for further benefit evaluation. Results show that a transitional probability methodology can be used to model at least one clinical application for each of these substances. In each recommended case, the disease and its therapy are sufficiently well understood and documented, and the statistical data is available to operate the model and produce estimates of the impact of new therapy systems on the cost of treatment, morbidity, and mortality. Utilizing the morbidity and mortality information produced by the model, a standard economic technique called the Value of Human Capital is used to estimate the social welfare benefits that could be attributable to the new therapy systems.

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NASA NTRS1984

Opportunities for space bioprocessing

The need for improved purification technologies, the role of electrophoresis, and isoelectric focusing are discussed in the context of space bioprocessing.

Bier, M.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Cell bioprocessing in space - Applications of analytical cytology

Cell bioprocessing experiments in space are reviewed and the development of on-board cell analytical cytology techniques that can serve such experiments is discussed. Methods and results of experiments involving the cultivation and separation of eukaryotic cells in space are presented. It is suggested that an advanced cytometer should be developed for the quantitative analysis of large numbers of specimens of suspended eukaryotic cells and bioparticles in experiments on the Space Station.

Todd, P.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Bioprocessing of ores: Application to space resources

The role of microorganisms in the oxidation and leaching of various ores (especially those of copper, iron, and uranium) is well known. This role is increasingly being applied by the mining, metallurgy, and sewage industries in the bioconcentration of metal ions from natural receiving waters and from waste waters. It is concluded that bioprocessing using bacteria in closed reactors may be a variable option for the recovery of metals from the lunar regolith. Obviously, considerable research must be done to define the process, specify the appropriate bacteria, determine the necessary conditions and limitations, and evaluate the overall feasibility.

Johansson, Karl R.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Conversion of bioprocess ethanol to industrial chemical products - Applications of process models for energy-economic assessments

An assessment approach for accurate evaluation of bioprocesses for large-scale production of industrial chemicals is presented. Detailed energy-economic assessments of a potential esterification process were performed, where ethanol vapor in the presence of water from a bioreactor is catalytically converted to ethyl acetate. Results show that such processes are likely to become more competitive as the cost of substrates decreases relative to petrolium costs. A commercial ASPEN process simulation provided a reasonably consistent comparison with energy economics calculated using JPL developed software. Detailed evaluations of the sensitivity of production cost to material costs and annual production rates are discussed.

Rohatgi, Naresh K.↗
NASA NTRS2001

ISS Flight 2A.2B (STS-106): Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus (CGBA) Payload BioServe Space Technologies

The two experiments housed in the Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus (CGBA) during STS-106 were designed to explore how biological processes are affected by microgravity. The first was a developmental study into the effects of microgravity on motor-neuronal growth in the fruit fly species Drosophila melanogaster and the second study was designed to characterize changes in kidney cell gene expression. The objective of the primary experiment, called NIH-B1, was to determine how gravity affects neuronal development of the D. melanogaster embryo and larvae in microgravity, specifically observing the neural connections to muscle fibers.

Stodieck, Louis↗
NASA NTRS2008

Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus Science Insert - 03

Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus Science Insert - 03 (CSI-03) is the third set of investigations in the CSI program series. The CSI program provides the K-12 community opportunities to utilize the unique microgravity environment of the International Space Station as part of the regular classroom to encourage learning and interest in science, technology, engineering and math. CSI-03 will examine the complete life cycle of the painted lady butterfly and the ability of an orb weaving spider to spin a web, eat and remain healthy in space.

Moreno, Nancy↗
NASA NTRS1977

Bioprocessing: Prospects for space electrophoresis

The basic principles of electrophoresis are reviewed in light of its past contributions to biology and medicine. The near-zero gravity environment of orbiting spacecraft may present some unique advantages for a variety of processes, by abolishing the major source of convection in fluids. As the ground-based development of electrophoresis was heavily influenced by the need to circumvent the effects of gravity, this process should be a prime candidate for space operation. Nevertheless, while a space facility for electrophoresis may overcome the limitations imposed by gravity, it will not necessarily overcome all problems inherent in electrophoresis. These are, mainly, electroosmosis and the dissipation of the heat generated by the electric field. The NASA program has already led to excellent coatings to prevent electroosmosis, while the need for heat dissipation will continue to impose limits on the actual size of equipment. It is also not excluded that, once the dominant force of gravity is eliminated, disturbances in fluid stability may originate from weaker forces, such as surface tension.

Bier, M.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Bioprocessing feasibility analysis

The biology and pathophysiology of the thymus gland is discussed and a clinical procedure for thymic hormone assay is described. The separation of null lymphocytes from mice spleens and the functional characteristics of the cells after storage and transportation were investigated to develop a clinical procedure for thymic hormone assay, and to determine whether a ground-based approach will provide the desired end-product in sufficient quantities, or whether the microgravity of space should be exploited for more economical preparation of the hormone.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1980

Bioprocesses

The application of remote sensing techniques to the study of eutrophication in natural waters and the location and characterization of fronts is considered. The specific problem to be studied is examined along with the feasibility and capabability of remote sensing techniques for each application.

Ditoro, D. M.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Bioprocessing in space

Attachment to a substrate and survival of human embryonic kidney cells (HEK) was tested in an incubator installed in the flight-deck of the space shuttle Challenger. The HEK cells produce the enzyme urokinase and are candidates for electrophoretic separation. Attachment of the cells to a substrate is mandatory for survival. Analysis of the samples shows that cells adhere, spread and survive in 0 g conditions as well as the ground controls at 1 g.

Tschopp, A.↗
NASA NTRS1996

Bioprocessing in Microgravity: Applications of Continuous Flow Electrophoresis to Rat Anterior Pituitary Particles

In this report we describe the results of a continuous flow electrophoresis (CFE) experiment done on STS-65 in which we tested the idea that intracellular growth hormone (GH) particles contained in a cell lysate prepared from cultured rat anterior pituitary cells in microgravity might have different electrophoretic mobilities from those in a synchronous ground control cell lysate. Collectively, the results suggested that CFE processing in microgravity was better than on earth; more samples could be processed at a time (6 x) and more variant forms of GH molecules could be resolved as well. We had also hoped to carry out a pituitary cell CFE experiment, but failure of the hardware required that the actual cell electrophoresis trials be done on earth shortly after Shuttle landing. Data from these experiments showed that space-flown cells possessed a higher electrophoretic mobility than ground control cells, thereby offering evidence for the idea that exposure of cultured cells to microgravity can change their net surface charge-density especially when the cells are fed. Collectively, the results from this pituitary cell experiment document the advantage of using coupled cell culture and CFE techniques in the microgravity environment.

Hymer, W. C.↗