A second space age spanning omics, platforms and medicine across orbits.

The recent acceleration of commercial, private and multi-national spaceflight has created an unprecedented level of activity in low Earth orbit, concomitant with the largest-ever number of crewed missions entering space and preparations for exploration-class (lasting longer than one year) missions. Such rapid advancement into space from many new companies, countries and space-related entities has enabled a 'second space age'. This era is also poised to leverage, for the first time, modern tools and methods of molecular biology and precision medicine, thus enabling precision aerospace medicine for the crews.

Orbital Reef and commercial low Earth orbit destinations-upcoming space research opportunities.

As the International Space Station comes to the end of a transformative era of in-space research, NASA's Commercial Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Destinations (CLD) Program aims to catalyze a new generation of platforms with co-investment from the private sector, preventing a potential gap in research performed in LEO, while building a robust LEO economy. In this paper, we provide insight into the CLD Program focusing on Orbital Reef, describing its operational and technical characteristics as well as new opportunities it may enable. Achieving about a third of the pressurized volume of the ISS with the launch of a single pressurized module and growing to support hundreds of Middeck Locker Equivalents (MLE) in passive and active payloads internally and externally, Orbital Reef will enable government, academic, and commercial institutions to continue and expand upon research and development (R&D) efforts currently performed on ISS.

Reduced Cell Size Observed on Planktonic Cultures Grown in the International Space Station.

Bacterial growth and behavior have been studied in microgravity in the past, but little focus has been directed to cell size despite its impact on a myriad of processes, including biofilm formation, which is impactful regarding crew health. To interrogate this characteristic, supernatant aliquots of cultured on different materials and media on board the International Space Station (ISS) as part of the Space Biofilms Project were analyzed. For that experiment, was grown in microgravity-with matching Earth controls-in modified artificial urine medium (mAUMg-high Pi) or LB Lennox supplemented with KNO, and its formation of biofilms on six different materials was assessed.

Space biofilms - An overview of the morphology of biofilms grown on silicone and cellulose membranes on board the international space station.

Microorganisms' natural ability to live as organized multicellular communities - also known as biofilms - provides them with unique survival advantages. For instance, bacterial biofilms are protected against environmental stresses thanks to their extracellular matrix, which could contribute to persistent infections after treatment with antibiotics. Bacterial biofilms are also capable of strongly attaching to surfaces, where their metabolic by-products could lead to surface material degradation.

Whole genome-scale assessment of gene fitness of Novosphingobium aromaticavorans during spaceflight.

In microgravity, bacteria undergo intriguing physiological adaptations. There have been few attempts to assess global bacterial physiological responses to microgravity, with most studies only focusing on a handful of individual systems. This study assessed the fitness of each gene in the genome of the aromatic compound-degrading Alphaproteobacterium Novosphingobium aromaticavorans during growth in spaceflight.

Biofilm formation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in spaceflight is minimized on lubricant impregnated surfaces.

The undesirable, yet inevitable, presence of bacterial biofilms in spacecraft poses a risk to the proper functioning of systems and to astronauts' health. To mitigate the risks that arise from them, it is important to understand biofilms' behavior in microgravity. As part of the Space Biofilms project, biofilms of Pseudomonas aeruginosa were grown in spaceflight over material surfaces.

Toward sustainable space exploration: a roadmap for harnessing the power of microorganisms.

Finding sustainable approaches to achieve independence from terrestrial resources is of pivotal importance for the future of space exploration. This is relevant not only to establish viable space exploration beyond low Earth-orbit, but also for ethical considerations associated with the generation of space waste and the preservation of extra-terrestrial environments. Here we propose and highlight a series of microbial biotechnologies uniquely suited to establish sustainable processes for in situ resource utilization and loop-closure.

Simulated Micro-, Lunar, and Martian Gravities on Earth-Effects on Growth, Phenotype, and Sensitivity to Antibiotics.

Bacterial behavior has been studied under microgravity conditions, but very little is known about it under lunar and Martian gravitational regimes. An Earth-based approach was designed and implemented using inclined clinostats and an in-house-developed code to determine the optimal clinorotation angular speed for bacterial liquid cultures of 5 RPM. With this setup, growth dynamics, phenotypic changes, and sensitivity to antibiotics (minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of two different classes of antibiotics) for three strains (including uropathogenic) were examined under simulated micro-, lunar, and Martian gravities.

The smallest space miners: principles of space biomining.

As we aim to expand human presence in space, we need to find viable approaches to achieve independence from terrestrial resources. Space biomining of the Moon, Mars and asteroids has been indicated as one of the promising approaches to achieve in-situ resource utilization by the main space agencies. Structural and expensive metals, essential mineral nutrients, water, oxygen and volatiles could be potentially extracted from extraterrestrial regolith and rocks using microbial-based biotechnologies.

Potential of to Grow on and Bioleach Metals from Mars and Lunar Regolith Simulants under Simulated Microgravity Conditions.

The biomining microbes which extract metals from ores that have been applied in mining processes worldwide hold potential for harnessing space resources. Their cell growth and ability to extract metals from extraterrestrial minerals under microgravity environments, however, remains largely unknown. The present study used the model biomining bacterium to extract metals from lunar and Martian regolith simulants cultivated in a rotating clinostat with matched controls grown under the influence of terrestrial gravity.

NASA GeneLab RNA-seq consensus pipeline: standardized processing of short-read RNA-seq data.

With the development of transcriptomic technologies, we are able to quantify precise changes in gene expression profiles from astronauts and other organisms exposed to spaceflight. Members of NASA GeneLab and GeneLab-associated analysis working groups (AWGs) have developed a consensus pipeline for analyzing short-read RNA-sequencing data from spaceflight-associated experiments. The pipeline includes quality control, read trimming, mapping, and gene quantification steps, culminating in the detection of differentially expressed genes.

Potential biofilm control strategies for extended spaceflight missions.

Biofilms, surface-adherent microbial communities, are associated with microbial fouling and corrosion in terrestrial water-distribution systems. Biofilms are also present in human spaceflight, particularly in the Water Recovery System (WRS) on the International Space Station (ISS). The WRS is comprised of the Urine Processor Assembly (UPA) and the Water Processor Assembly (WPA) which together recycles wastewater from human urine and recovered humidity from the ISS atmosphere.

Design of a spaceflight biofilm experiment.

Biofilm growth has been observed in Soviet/Russian (Salyuts and Mir), American (Skylab), and International (ISS) Space Stations, sometimes jeopardizing key equipment like spacesuits, water recycling units, radiators, and navigation windows. Biofilm formation also increases the risk of human illnesses and therefore needs to be well understood to enable safe, long-duration, human space missions. Here, the design of a NASA-supported biofilm in space project is reported.

Optimization and validation of a DHS-TD-GC-MS method to wineomics studies.

A dynamic headspace sorptive extraction (DHS) combined with thermal desorption (TD) and coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) was developed for the determination of forty-four volatile aroma metabolites (VAMs) which describe aroma fingerprints of wines. The response surface methodology (RSM) and a central composite design (CCD) was used to obtain the optimal values for the experimental extraction variables, and the results were assessed by an analysis of variance (ANOVA) and a principal component analysis (PCA). The VAMs exhibited optimal extraction with the high levels of salt concentration (1.

Spaceflight Modifies Gene Expression in Response to Antibiotic Exposure and Reveals Role of Oxidative Stress Response.

Bacteria grown in space experiments under microgravity conditions have been found to undergo unique physiological responses, ranging from modified cell morphology and growth dynamics to a putative increased tolerance to antibiotics. A common theory for this behavior is the loss of gravity-driven convection processes in the orbital environment, resulting in both reduction of extracellular nutrient availability and the accumulation of bacterial byproducts near the cell. To further characterize the responses, this study investigated the transcriptomic response of to both microgravity and antibiotic concentration.

Phenotypic Changes Exhibited by Cultured in Space.

Bacteria will accompany humans in our exploration of space, making it of importance to study their adaptation to the microgravity environment. To investigate potential phenotypic changes for bacteria grown in space, was cultured onboard the International Space Station with matched controls on Earth. Samples were challenged with different concentrations of gentamicin sulfate to study the role of drug concentration on the dependent variables in the space environment.

A Molecular Genetic Basis Explaining Altered Bacterial Behavior in Space.

Bacteria behave differently in space, as indicated by reports of reduced lag phase, higher final cell counts, enhanced biofilm formation, increased virulence, and reduced susceptibility to antibiotics. These phenomena are theorized, at least in part, to result from reduced mass transport in the local extracellular environment, where movement of molecules consumed and excreted by the cell is limited to diffusion in the absence of gravity-dependent convection. However, to date neither empirical nor computational approaches have been able to provide sufficient evidence to confirm this explanation.

Chemical and morphological characterization of Chardonnay and Gewürztraminer grapes and changes during chamber-drying under controlled conditions.

In this work, the morphological and chemical properties of Chardonnay and Gewürztraminer aromatic grapes (northern Spain) have been studied with the aim to assess their response to chamber-drying under controlled conditions and compare it with that of Pedro Ximenez grapes (southern Spain). Morphological characteristics, such as weight, size and roundness, and other of the skin such as thickness, enabled discrimination of the two types of grapes varieties. Changes in browning index, colour, antioxidant activity, aroma compounds determined by GC-MS and flavan-3-ols and flavonols concentrations determined by HPLC-DAD were studied during drying.

Optimization and validation of an automated DHS-TD-GC-MS method for the determination of aromatic esters in sweet wines.

A dynamic headspace sorptive extraction (DHS) combined with thermal desorption (TD) and coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) was developed for the determination of 11 esters which contribute to the fruity aroma in sweet wines. A full factorial (4 factors, 2 level) experiment design was used to optimize the extraction conditions and the results were evaluated by multiple linear regression (MLR) and principal component analysis (PCA). The esters showed optimal extraction using an extraction temperature of 30°C during 20 min, and a subsequent purge volume of 300 mL and dry volume of 50 mL.

Chromatography-olfactometry study of the aroma of fino sherry wines.

The aroma of Fino sherry wines produced by industrial biological aging for 0, 1.5, 2.5, 4.

Evaluation of the active odorants in Amontillado sherry wines during the aging process.

Odor compounds in Amontillado sherry white wine obtained by means of biological aging first and oxidative aging second in American oak casks were determined by gas chromatography-olfactometry. Sniffing revealed fruity, fatty, chemical, spicy, vegetable, floral and empyreumatic odors, the first being the most common. Olfactometric intensity was assessed on a four-point scale.

Comparison of odor-active compounds in sherry wines processed from ecologically and conventionally grown Pedro Ximenez grapes.

The aroma of young and biologically aged sherry wines from Pedro Ximenez grape cultivated conventionally and ecologically has been studied. Fifty-five compounds were quantified by GC, and the odor activity values for the 19 odor-active compounds considered were grouped into 8 odorant series, the fruity and fatty series showing the highest OAVs. The OAVs of the eight series were subjected to a principal component analysis.

Changes in color and odorant compounds during oxidative aging of Pedro Ximenez sweet wines.

Pedro Ximenez sweet wines obtained following the typical criaderas and solera method for sherry wines and subjected to oxidative aging for 0, 1.3, 4.2, 7.

Analytical study of aromatic series in sherry wines subjected to biological aging.

The odor activity values (OAVs) for 49 aroma compounds in commercial sherry pale white wines were grouped, according to the similarity of their aroma descriptors, into nine odor classes with a view to establishing the aroma profile for this type of wine. The results revealed the profile to be largely comprised of the series named "fruity" and "balsamic", mainly as a result of the 1,1-diethoxyethane content in the wines. The same series were calculated from the OAVs obtained in biological aging experiments, carried out with selected strains of the flor yeasts Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Saccharomyces bayanus, over a period of 9 months.