This experimental apparatus, which flew to space
station in 2019, is a miniature bioreactor which allows
the scientists to study how microbes grow in space and
what effect microgravity has on their growth.
The University of Edinburgh and Kayser Space have
collaborated on the project which is the first European
experiment to be fast-tracked to the International
Space Station through the Bioreactor Express programme.
Libby Jackson, Human Exploration Programme Manager at
the UK Space Agency, said:
This is another exciting step forward in the
commercialisation of research and business in space.
Enterprises such as Bioreactor Express allow anybody
who wishes to carry out research or manufacture on
the ISS the opportunity to do so. There is great
potential for UK businesses and entrepreneurs to
utilise the programme, which will help further reduce
the costs of exploration and open the opportunities
of space to a broader audience.
David Zolesi, Kayser Space Managing Director, added:
Executing the entire BioAsteroid project within one
year, the UK has positioned itself at the forefront
of two activities that will define the future of the
commercial exploitation of space: asteroid mining and
fast-track access to microgravity.
The experiment utilises Sphingomonas desiccabilis and
Penicillium simplicissimum - two microbes that, when
placed in a liquid, ‘feed’ from the rock surface,
extracting ions. This causes the rock to break down and
either form soils or release economically attractive
elements in ‘biomining’.
Prof. Charles Cockell, University of Edinburgh, said:
By studying biofilm formation of these organisms on
the asteroidal material in microgravity, BioAsteroid
will investigate how space conditions ultimately
affect microbe-mineral interactions, addressing
questions on the biochemistry of the organisms,
biofilm morphology and structure, fungal attachment
and the ability of the microbes to break down rock, a
key process for the future use of microorganisms in
space exploration, including the mining of asteroids.
The Science Verification Test for BioAsteroid will take
place later this month in Edinburgh, where the microbes
will be grown for the first time on the actual flight
culturing hardware. The experiment is scheduled to be
launched to the ISS with SpaceX in October 2020.
