RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Getting there and staying there: supporting and enabling persistent human life on Mars using synthetic natural rubber, self-healing materials, and biological batteries
JF bioRxiv
FD Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
SP 345496
DO 10.1101/345496
A1 Nischal Acharya
A1 Natalie Baker
A1 Marilu Krystal Bravo
A1 Katie Gu
A1 Sierra Harken
A1 Michael Howland Herschl
A1 Addie Petersen
A1 Ileana Pirozzi
A1 Dylan Spangle
A1 Gordon Sun
A1 Brian Vuong
A1 Nils J.H. Averesch
A1 Kosuke Fujishima
A1 Trevor! J. Kalkus
A1 Kara J. Helmke Rogers
A1 Lynn J. Rothschild
YR 2018
UL http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2018/06/12/345496.abstract
AB Planetary exploration requires a balance between preemptive planning and financial feasibility. The risk of mid-mission equipment failure, power shortages, or supply depletion incentivizes precautionary measures, but the financial strain of sending unnecessary mass into space limits this practice.To balance the two, our team explored the advantages of biological solutions, namely the self-sustaining abilities of low-mass organisms, to make planetary exploration more self-sufficient and economical. Prioritizing repair over replacement, we are developing self-healing materials embedded with Bacillus subtilis. For longer-lasting energy, we are designing a “biobactery” using linearly oriented Escherichia coli to generate power. For renewable materials, we are engineering bacteria to synthesize and degrade rubber. Individually, these projects offer sustainable alternatives for repair, power, and materials. But when combined, these consolidated insights can provide us with the power to get to Mars and resources to sustain us while we’re there.Contributions: Conceptualization, Methodology, Writing - Original Draft PreparationContributions: Conceptualization, Formal Analysis, Methodology, Investigation, Writing - Original Draft PreparationContributions: Conceptualization, Data Curation, Investigation, Visualization, Writing - Original Draft Preparation, Writing - Review & EditingContributions: Conceptualization, Investigation, Methodology, Writing - Original Draft PreparationContributions: Conceptualization, Investigation, Methodology, Writing - Original Draft Preparation, Writing - Review & EditingContributions: Conceptualization, Investigation, Methodology, Writing - Original Draft PreparationContributions: Conceptualization, Data Curation, Formal Analysis, Investigation, Methodology, Visualization, Writing - Original Draft PreparationContributions: Conceptualization, Investigation, Methodology, Writing - Original Draft PreparationContributions: Conceptualization, Investigation, Supervision, Writing - Original Draft Preparation, Writing - Review & EditingContributions: Conceptualization, Methodology, Supervision, Writing - Review & EditingContributions: Conceptualization, Data Curation, Formal Analysis, Investigation, Methodology, Visualization, Writing - Original Draft PreparationContributions: Conceptualization, Methodology, Supervision, Writing - Review & EditingContributions: Supervision, Methodology, Writing - Review & EditingContributions: Supervision, Writing - Review & EditingContributions: Funding Acquisition, Resources, Methodology, SupervisionContributions: Conceptualization, Funding Acquisition, Project Administration, Resources, Supervision, Writing - Review & Editing