Development and Flight-Testing of Modular Autonomous Cultivation Systems for Biological Plastics Upcycling Aboard the ISS: Article No. 23

Xin Liu; Pat Pataranutaporn; Benjamin Fram; Allison Werner; Sunanda Sharma; Nicholas Gauthier; Erika Erickson; Patrick Chwalek; Kelsey Ramirez; Morgan Ingraham; Natasha Murphy; Krista Ryon; Braden Tierney; Gregg Beckham; Christopher Mason; Ariel Ekblaw

doi:10.1038/s41526-025-00463-2

Development and Flight-Testing of Modular Autonomous Cultivation Systems for Biological Plastics Upcycling Aboard the ISS: Article No. 23

Xin Liu, Pat Pataranutaporn, Benjamin Fram, Allison Werner, Sunanda Sharma, Nicholas Gauthier, Erika Erickson, Patrick Chwalek, Kelsey Ramirez, Morgan Ingraham, Natasha Murphy, Krista Ryon, Braden Tierney, Gregg Beckham, Christopher Mason, Ariel Ekblaw

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Cultivation of microorganisms in space has enormous potential to enable in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) Here, we develop an autonomous payload with fully programmable serial passaging and sample preservation, termed the Modular Open Biological Platform (MOBP), and flight-test the MOBP aboard the International Space Station (ISS) by conducting enzymatic and microbial plastics upcycling experiments. The MOBP is a compact, modular bioreactor system that allows for sustained microbial growth via automated media transfers, such as those for sample collection and storage for terrestrial analyses, and precise data monitoring from integrated sensors. The MOBP was flight-tested with two experiments designed to evaluate biological upcycling of the plastic poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET). The bioproduct ..beta..KA can be polymerized into a nylon-6,6 analog with improved properties for use in the production of a variety of materials. We posit the MOBP will aid in democratizing the execution of synthetic biology in spaceflight towards enabling ISRU.

Original language	American English
Number of pages	10
Journal	npj Microgravity
Volume	11
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41526-025-00463-2
State	Published - 2025

NREL Publication Number

NREL/JA-2800-95959

Keywords

International Space Station
microorganisms
upcycling

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10.1038/s41526-025-00463-2

https://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy25osti/95959.pdf

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Liu, X., Pataranutaporn, P., Fram, B., Werner, A., Sharma, S., Gauthier, N., Erickson, E., Chwalek, P., Ramirez, K., Ingraham, M., Murphy, N., Ryon, K., Tierney, B., Beckham, G., Mason, C., & Ekblaw, A. (2025). Development and Flight-Testing of Modular Autonomous Cultivation Systems for Biological Plastics Upcycling Aboard the ISS: Article No. 23. npj Microgravity, 11. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41526-025-00463-2

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abstract = "Cultivation of microorganisms in space has enormous potential to enable in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) Here, we develop an autonomous payload with fully programmable serial passaging and sample preservation, termed the Modular Open Biological Platform (MOBP), and flight-test the MOBP aboard the International Space Station (ISS) by conducting enzymatic and microbial plastics upcycling experiments. The MOBP is a compact, modular bioreactor system that allows for sustained microbial growth via automated media transfers, such as those for sample collection and storage for terrestrial analyses, and precise data monitoring from integrated sensors. The MOBP was flight-tested with two experiments designed to evaluate biological upcycling of the plastic poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET). The bioproduct ..beta..KA can be polymerized into a nylon-6,6 analog with improved properties for use in the production of a variety of materials. We posit the MOBP will aid in democratizing the execution of synthetic biology in spaceflight towards enabling ISRU.",

keywords = "International Space Station, microorganisms, upcycling",

author = "Xin Liu and Pat Pataranutaporn and Benjamin Fram and Allison Werner and Sunanda Sharma and Nicholas Gauthier and Erika Erickson and Patrick Chwalek and Kelsey Ramirez and Morgan Ingraham and Natasha Murphy and Krista Ryon and Braden Tierney and Gregg Beckham and Christopher Mason and Ariel Ekblaw",

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doi = "10.1038/s41526-025-00463-2",

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Liu, X, Pataranutaporn, P, Fram, B, Werner, A, Sharma, S, Gauthier, N, Erickson, E, Chwalek, P, Ramirez, K , Ingraham, M, Murphy, N, Ryon, K, Tierney, B, Beckham, G, Mason, C & Ekblaw, A 2025, 'Development and Flight-Testing of Modular Autonomous Cultivation Systems for Biological Plastics Upcycling Aboard the ISS: Article No. 23', npj Microgravity, vol. 11. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41526-025-00463-2

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T2 - Article No. 23

AU - Liu, Xin

AU - Pataranutaporn, Pat

AU - Fram, Benjamin

AU - Werner, Allison

AU - Sharma, Sunanda

AU - Gauthier, Nicholas

AU - Erickson, Erika

AU - Chwalek, Patrick

AU - Ramirez, Kelsey

AU - Ingraham, Morgan

AU - Murphy, Natasha

AU - Ryon, Krista

AU - Tierney, Braden

AU - Beckham, Gregg

AU - Mason, Christopher

AU - Ekblaw, Ariel

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AB - Cultivation of microorganisms in space has enormous potential to enable in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) Here, we develop an autonomous payload with fully programmable serial passaging and sample preservation, termed the Modular Open Biological Platform (MOBP), and flight-test the MOBP aboard the International Space Station (ISS) by conducting enzymatic and microbial plastics upcycling experiments. The MOBP is a compact, modular bioreactor system that allows for sustained microbial growth via automated media transfers, such as those for sample collection and storage for terrestrial analyses, and precise data monitoring from integrated sensors. The MOBP was flight-tested with two experiments designed to evaluate biological upcycling of the plastic poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET). The bioproduct ..beta..KA can be polymerized into a nylon-6,6 analog with improved properties for use in the production of a variety of materials. We posit the MOBP will aid in democratizing the execution of synthetic biology in spaceflight towards enabling ISRU.

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DO - 10.1038/s41526-025-00463-2

M3 - Article

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VL - 11

JO - npj Microgravity

JF - npj Microgravity

ER -

Development and Flight-Testing of Modular Autonomous Cultivation Systems for Biological Plastics Upcycling Aboard the ISS: Article No. 23

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