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At least 1,243 records · Page 69
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2025

PyTUQ: Python Toolkit for Uncertainty Quantification

SAND2025-03661O PyTUQ is a user-friendly software toolkit designed to help researchers and professionals understand and manage uncertainty in several scientific fields. By providing tools for analyzing how uncertainties affect outcomes, PyTUQ can be applied in areas such as energy production, and biology. Its unique approach allows users to make more informed decisions by assessing risks and improving predictions. Whether you're studying combustion processes or exploring complex biological systems, PyTUQ empowers you to gain deeper insights and enhance the reliability of your results. Sandia National Laboratories is a multimission laboratory managed and operated by National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Honeywell International Inc., for the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-NA0003525.

SciDAC↗
NASA NTRS2016

PowerCells Payload on EuCROPIS - Measuring Synthetic Biology in Space

NASA’s PowerCell payload on the DLR (Deutsches Zentrum fur Luft- und Raumfahrt, i.e. German Aerospace Center) Eu:CROPIS satellite will compare the effect of multiple simulated gravity regimes on basic processes required for synthetic biology in space including growth, protein production, and genetic transformation of the bacterium Bacillus subtilis. In addition, it will pioneer the use of a cyanobacterially-produced feedstock for microbial growth in space, a concept we call “PowerCell.” The PowerCell experiment system will be integrated using the Spaceflight Secondary Payload System with the German Space Agency's (DLR's) Euglena and Combined Regenerative Organic-food Production In Space (Eu:CROPIS) satellite, to be launched during the summer of 2017. In order to simulate the gravitational gradient of different celestial bodies, the Eu:CROPIS satellite will establish artificial microgravity, lunar, and Martian gravity levels prior to conducting each set of biological experiments, with experimental results compared to ground controls. Experiments will be carried out in microfluidics cards with experimental progress measured through absorbance as detected by the LED-based optical system. Here we describe the ground studies that led to these experiments, along with a description of the flight hardware and its performance. The results of this mission will provide foundational data for the use and production of genetically engineered organisms for extraterrestrial missions.

PowerCell experiment system↗
NASA NTRS2001

Optimized suspension culture: the rotating-wall vessel

Suspension culture remains a popular modality, which manipulates mechanical culture conditions to maintain the specialized features of cultured cells. The rotating-wall vessel is a suspension culture vessel optimized to produce laminar flow and minimize the mechanical stresses on cell aggregates in culture. This review summarizes the engineering principles, which allow optimal suspension culture conditions to be established, and the boundary conditions, which limit this process. We suggest that to minimize mechanical damage and optimize differentiation of cultured cells, suspension culture should be performed in a solid-body rotation Couette-flow, zero-headspace culture vessel such as the rotating-wall vessel. This provides fluid dynamic operating principles characterized by 1) solid body rotation about a horizontal axis, characterized by colocalization of cells and aggregates of different sedimentation rates, optimally reduced fluid shear and turbulence, and three-dimensional spatial freedom; and 2) oxygenation by diffusion. Optimization of suspension culture is achieved by applying three tradeoffs. First, terminal velocity should be minimized by choosing microcarrier beads and culture media as close in density as possible. Next, rotation in the rotating-wall vessel induces both Coriolis and centrifugal forces, directly dependent on terminal velocity and minimized as terminal velocity is minimized. Last, mass transport of nutrients to a cell in suspension culture depends on both terminal velocity and diffusion of nutrients. In the transduction of mechanical culture conditions into cellular effects, several lines of evidence support a role for multiple molecular mechanisms. These include effects of shear stress, changes in cell cycle and cell death pathways, and upstream regulation of secondary messengers such as protein kinase C. The discipline of suspension culture needs a systematic analysis of the relationship between mechanical culture conditions and biological effects, emphasizing cellular processes important for the industrial production of biological pharmaceuticals and devices.

Non-NASA Center↗
DOE OSTI2018

Bio-Oxo Technology

Easel Biotechnologies, LLC’s Bio-Oxo process has demonstrated that isobutyraldehyde can be biologically produced from corn stover hydrolysate up to 56 g/L in a 14L fermentor. This was accomplished by metabolically engineering bacterial strains to not only produce isobutyraldehyde, but to do so by co-utilizing corn stover hydrolysate sugars, glucose and xylose. Also essential to the success of the Bio-Oxo process was that it utilized gas stripping as a means of product separation, allowing for the continuous removal of isobutyraldehyde. This aided in not only reducing energy costs associated with separation, but also alleviating product toxicity, resulting in higher production. Although we were not able to complete our economic analysis based on pilot scale fermentations, the improvements we have made from strain engineering to product separation, should result in the reduced cost of isobutyraldehyde. Still, as the project has ended prematurely, there is room for additional optimization. Improvements in productivity and sugar utilization would result in a further reduction in capital and recovery costs. As a biological-based process, the utilization of corn stover results in reduced greenhouse gas emissions as compared to petroleum-based chemical synthesis. In addition, as a true replacement chemical “drop in” system, no downstream production units need to be changed. Jobs can also be created as farm waste needs to be collected and transported to the new production facility.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
NASA NTRS1974

Space processing applications payload equipment study. Volume 2A: Experiment requirements

An analysis of the space processing applications payload equipment was conducted. The primary objective was to perform a review and an update of the space processing activity research equipment requirements and specifications that were derived in the first study. The analysis is based on the six major experimental classes of: (1) biological applications, (2) chemical processes in fluids, (3) crystal growth, (4) glass technology, (5) metallurgical processes, and (6) physical processes in fluids. Tables of data are prepared to show the functional requirements for the areas of investigation.

Smith, A. G.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Tensegrity II. How structural networks influence cellular information processing networks

The major challenge in biology today is biocomplexity: the need to explain how cell and tissue behaviors emerge from collective interactions within complex molecular networks. Part I of this two-part article, described a mechanical model of cell structure based on tensegrity architecture that explains how the mechanical behavior of the cell emerges from physical interactions among the different molecular filament systems that form the cytoskeleton. Recent work shows that the cytoskeleton also orients much of the cell's metabolic and signal transduction machinery and that mechanical distortion of cells and the cytoskeleton through cell surface integrin receptors can profoundly affect cell behavior. In particular, gradual variations in this single physical control parameter (cell shape distortion) can switch cells between distinct gene programs (e.g. growth, differentiation and apoptosis), and this process can be viewed as a biological phase transition. Part II of this article covers how combined use of tensegrity and solid-state mechanochemistry by cells may mediate mechanotransduction and facilitate integration of chemical and physical signals that are responsible for control of cell behavior. In addition, it examines how cell structural networks affect gene and protein signaling networks to produce characteristic phenotypes and cell fate transitions during tissue development.

Review↗
NASA NTRS2021

Sample Return Containerization and Planetary Protection Using Brazing for Breaking the Chain of Contact to Mars

Planetary protection of Mars samples returned to Earth in a future NASA mission is a critical part of preventing uncontrolled biological materials being released from the samples. The planetary protection process requires addressing the potential risks and would involve “breaking the chain of contact (BTC)”, where any returned material reaching Earth for further analysis would have to be sealed inside a container with extremely high confidence. The sterilization process would require destroying any potential biological materials that may contaminate the external surface of the container. A novel process for containing the returned samples has been conceived and developed at JPL. The process consists of using induction heated brazing to synchronously sterilize, separate, seam and seal the container. In this case. the braze material is heated to the level of melting at temperatures higher than 500°C to assure sterilizing exposed areas since carbon bonds are broken above this temperature. The container that encloses the samples consists of double walls with interstitial space that is Earth-clean. The process consists of two-steps, where one was intended to be prepared on Earth and the second potentially executed on orbit around Mars. The latest results of this study that established the needed capability are described and discussed in this manuscript.

Shirajian, Nareg↗
NASA NTRS2005

Control of Effluent Gases from Solid Waste Processing using Impregnated Carbon Nanotubes

One of the major problems associated with solid waste processing technologies is effluent contaminants that are released in gaseous forms from the processes. This is a concern in both biological as well as physicochemical solid waste processing. Carbon dioxide (CO2), the major gas released, does not present a serious problem and there are currently in place a number of flight-qualified technologies for CO2 removal. However, a number of other gases, in particular NOx, SO2, NH3, and various hydrocarbons (e.g. CH4) do present health hazards to the crew members in space habitats. In the present configuration of solid waste processing in the International Space Station (ISS), some of these gases are removed by the Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS), demands a major resupply. Reduction of the resupply can be effective by using catalyst impregnated carbon nanotubes. For example, NO decomposition to N2 and O2 is thermodynamically favored. Data showing decomposition of NO on metal impregnated carbon nanotubes is presented. Comparisons are made of the existing TCCS systems with the carbon nanotube based technology for removing NOx based on mass/energy penalties.

Li, Jing↗
DOE OSTI2020

Optimization of Energy Flow through Synthetic Metabolic Modules and Regulatory Networks in a Model Photosynthetic Eukaryotic Microbe

Photosynthetic organisms have recently gained considerable attention for a role in development of renewable energy sources. Genome-enabled systems biology methods, coupled with functional and synthetic genomics, present opportunities to develop sustainable and economical applications such as fuel production within the next 10 to 15 years. However, optimization of light-driven metabolism for biomass or biofuel production will require a detailed systems biology understanding of photosynthetic processes and cellular metabolism. Genome-scale metabolic models (GEMs) are at the core of systems analysis of cellular processes and form a common organizational framework for analyses of data resulting from functional genomics experimental work and computational studies. Therefore, there is a clear demand for high quality photosynthetic model organisms and the appropriate computational tools that enable systems analysis of light-driven metabolism. Through research conducted we expanded the currently available repertoire of photosynthetic GEMs to include the commercially valuable model diatom Phaeoctylum tricornutum. Diatoms have a peculiar and distinct evolutionary footprint and represent a major eukaryotic lineage that is taxonomically and functionally distinct from green and red algae and vascular plants. Therefore, the true potential for light-driven metabolism aimed at biofuel production remains poorly understood at a systems level for a large subset of the global diversity of photosynthetic organisms. The metabolic capabilities of P. tricornutum were comparatively modeled with those from other photosynthetic groups in order to elucidate the occurrence of metabolic traits within and between phototrophs. Additionally, this research resulted in significant extension of the COnstraints Based Reconstruction and Analysis (COBRA) Toolbox to accommodate the crucial need for infrastructure required for ‘omics data integration and analysis in the context of genome-scale models. Therefore, the proposed research achieved two important goals. First, within the broad scope of photosynthetic organisms, we functionally compared and, as a result, identified cellular processes that require optimization in order to enable deployment as biofuel feedstock. Second, the proposed research resulted in development of key computational infrastructure, which can be further extended to other biological systems, that is currently lacking but necessary for multiple ‘omics data integration.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2018

Direct Determination of Absolute Absorption Cross Sections at the L-Edge of Dilute Mn Complexes in Solution Using a Transmission Flatjet

The 3d transition metals play a pivotal role in many charge transfer processes in catalysis and biology. X-ray absorption spectroscopy at the L-edge of metal sites probes metal 2p–3d excitations, providing key access to their valence electronic structure, which is crucial for understanding these processes. In this paper, we report L-edge absorption spectra of Mn II (acac) 2 and Mn III (acac) 3 complexes in solution, utilizing a liquid flatjet for X-ray absorption spectroscopy in transmission mode. With this, we derive absolute absorption cross-sections for the L-edge transitions with peak magnitudes as large as 12 and 9 Mb for Mn II (acac) 2 and Mn III (acac) 3 , respectively. We provide insight into the electronic structure with ab initio restricted active space calculations of these L-edge transitions, reproducing the experimental spectra with excellent agreement in terms of shapes, relative energies, and relative intensities for the two complexes. Crystal field multiplet theory is used to assign spectral features in terms of the electronic structure. Comparison to charge transfer multiplet calculations reveals the importance of charge transfer in the core-excited final states. Finally, on the basis of our experimental observations, we extrapolate the feasibility of 3d transition metal L-edge absorption spectroscopy using the liquid flatjet approach in probing highly dilute biological solution samples and possible extensions to table-top soft X-ray sources.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
NASA NTRS2013

Microgravity Fluids for Biology, Workshop

Microgravity Fluids for Biology represents an intersection of biology and fluid physics that present exciting research challenges to the Space Life and Physical Sciences Division. Solving and managing the transport processes and fluid mechanics in physiological and biological systems and processes are essential for future space exploration and colonization of space by humans. Adequate understanding of the underlying fluid physics and transport mechanisms will provide new, necessary insights and technologies for analyzing and designing biological systems critical to NASAs mission. To enable this mission, the fluid physics discipline needs to work to enhance the understanding of the influence of gravity on the scales and types of fluids (i.e., non-Newtonian) important to biology and life sciences. In turn, biomimetic, bio-inspired and synthetic biology applications based on physiology and biology can enrich the fluid mechanics and transport phenomena capabilities of the microgravity fluid physics community.

biology↗
NASA NTRS1974

Space processing economics

Two types of space processing operations may be considered economically justified; they are manufacturing operations that make profits and experiment operations that provide needed applied research results at lower costs than those of alternative methods. Some examples from the Skylab experiments suggest that applied research should become cost effective soon after the space shuttle and Spacelab become operational. In space manufacturing, the total cost of space operations required to process materials must be repaid by the value added to the materials by the processing. Accurate estimates of profitability are not yet possible because shuttle operational costs are not firmly established and the markets for future products are difficult to estimate. However, approximate calculations show that semiconductor products and biological preparations may be processed on a scale consistent with market requirements and at costs that are at least compatible with profitability using the Shuttle/Spacelab system.

Bredt, J. H.↗
DOE OSTI2018

Chapter 13: Acid Preprocessing Treatments Benefit for Bioconversion of Biomass for Liquid Fuels and Bioproduct Production

Acid feedstock preprocessing includes a variety of unit operations that occur upstream of conversion that results in value-added feedstock intermediates with enhanced conversion performance and efficiency. Acid preprocessing improves feedstock quality and enzymatic digestibility by reducing non- structural components, such as ash, increasing catalyst penetration prior to pretreatment, and debranching xylan chains prior to downstream bioconversion. Sulfur dioxide has been used for pretreating woody feedstocks because it rapidly impregnates biomass tissue, providing uniform distribution of the catalyst. The processes include in situ biologically produced organic acids for feedstock ensiling, pre-impregnated biomass with an acid catalyst, and prehydrolysis of woody biomass for future forest biorefineries to provide both valuable co-products and reduced energy and processing inputs to the pulping process. The use of dicarboxylic acids to mimic the enzymatic hydrolysis of biomass has been used to reduce pretreatment requirements potentially reducing the need for acid-resistant materials for pretreatment.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
NASA NTRS2012

The United States' Next Generation of Atmospheric Composition and Coastal Ecosystem Measurements: NASA's Geostationary Coastal and Air Pollution Events (GEO-CAPE) Mission

The Geostationary Coastal and Air Pollution Events (GEO-CAPE) mission was recommended by the National Research Council's (NRC's) Earth Science Decadal Survey to measure tropospheric trace gases and aerosols and coastal ocean phytoplankton, water quality, and biogeochemistry from geostationary orbit, providing continuous observations within the field of view. To fulfill the mandate and address the challenge put forth by the NRC, two GEO-CAPE Science Working Groups (SWGs), representing the atmospheric composition and ocean color disciplines, have developed realistic science objectives using input drawn from several community workshops. The GEO-CAPE mission will take advantage of this revolutionary advance in temporal frequency for both of these disciplines. Multiple observations per day are required to explore the physical, chemical, and dynamical processes that determine tropospheric composition and air quality over spatial scales ranging from urban to continental, and over temporal scales ranging from diurnal to seasonal. Likewise, high-frequency satellite observations are critical to studying and quantifying biological, chemical, and physical processes within the coastal ocean. These observations are to be achieved from a vantage point near 95deg-100degW, providing a complete view of North America as well as the adjacent oceans. The SWGs have also endorsed the concept of phased implementation using commercial satellites to reduce mission risk and cost. GEO-CAPE will join the global constellation of geostationary atmospheric chemistry and coastal ocean color sensors planned to be in orbit in the 2020 time frame.

Atmospheric composition↗
DOE OSTI2017

Quantitative proteomic characterization of redox-dependent post-translational modifications on protein cysteines

Protein cysteine thiols play a crucial role in redox signaling, regulation of enzymatic activity and protein function, and maintaining redox homeostasis in living systems. The unique chemical reactivity of thiol groups makes cysteine susceptible to oxidative modifications by reactive oxygen and nitrogen species to form a broad array of reversible and irreversible protein post-translational modifications (PTMs). The reversible modifications in particular are one of the major components of redox signaling and are involved in regulation of various cellular processes under physiological and pathological conditions. The biological significance of these redox PTMs in health and diseases has been increasingly recognized. Herein, we review the recent advances of quantitative proteomic approaches for investigating redox PTMs in complex biological systems, including the general considerations of sample processing, various chemical or affinity enrichment strategies, and quantitative approaches. We also highlight a number of redox proteomic approaches that enable effective profiling of redox PTMs for addressing specific biological questions. Although some technological limitations remain, redox proteomics is paving the way towards a better understanding of redox signaling and regulation in human health and diseases.

Cysteine↗
DOE OSTI2017

Terrestrial acidification and ecosystem services: effects of acid rain on bunnies, baseball, and Christmas trees

Often termed “acid rain,” combined nitrogen and sulfur deposition can directly and indirectly impact the condition and health of forest ecosystems. Researchers use critical loads (CLs) to describe response thresholds, and recent studies on acid-sensitive biological indicators show that forests continue to be at risk from terrestrial acidification. However, rarely are impacts translated into changes in “ecosystem services” that impact human well-being. Further, the relevance of this research to the general public is seldom communicated in terms that can motivate action to protect valuable resources. To understand how changes in biological indicators affect human well-being, we used the STEPS (Stressor–Ecological Production function–final ecosystem Services) Framework to quantitatively and qualitatively link CL exceedances to ecosystem service impacts. We specified the cause-and-effect ecological processes linking changes in biological indicators to final ecosystem services. The Final Ecosystem Goods and Services Classification System (FEGS-CS) was used within the STEPS Framework to classify the ecosystem component and the beneficiary class that uses or values the component. We analyzed two acid-sensitive tree species, balsam fir (Abies balsamea) and white ash (Fraxinus americana), that are common in northeastern USA. These well-known species provide habitat for animals and popular forest products that are relatable to a broad audience. We identified 160 chains with 10 classes of human beneficiaries for balsam fir and white ash combined, concluding that there are resources at risk that the public may value. Two stories resulting from these explorations into the cascading effects of acid rain on terrestrial resources are ideal for effective science communication: the relationship between (1) balsam fir as a popular Christmas tree and habitat for the snowshoe hare, a favorite of wildlife viewers, and (2) white ash because it is used for half of all baseball bats, fine wood products, and musical instruments. Thus, rather than focusing on biological indicators that may only be understood or appreciated by specific stakeholders or experts, this approach extends the analysis to include impacts on FEGS and humans. It also lays the foundation for developing stakeholder-specific narratives, quantitative measures of endpoints, and for conducting demand-based valuations of affected ecosystem services.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

NASA's Biosentinel Mission: Lessons Learned and What's Next

In the last two years, two BioSentinel payloads were launched to space. The ISS mission launched in December 2021, and returned to the ground in August 2022 after successfully completing eight biological experiments while validating the different instruments. On the other hand, the deep space mission launched onboard Artemis I in November 2022, and is currently in a heliocentric orbit over 20 million kilometers away from the Earth. Even though all hardware subsystems were validated in deep space, the microfluidic subsystems experienced anomalies throughout the initial 6-month mission. The main goals of this presentation are (1) to present flight data from the deep space payload, including biology, fluidics, electronics, data processing, and mission operations, and (2) to discuss the lessons learned – what worked and what did not – from this unique complex mission, and how these lessons are aiding in the development of the Lunar Exploration Instrument for space biology Applications (LEIA) mission, launching to the lunar surface on a commercial lander in 2026. As of the writing of this abstract, the satellite continues to work nominally, communicating to Earth via the Deep Space Network (DSN) twice per week. Importantly, the mission received and extension to continue recording data on the deep space radiation environment on its way to solar maximum (i.e., higher probability of solar particle events). BioSentinel is supported by NASA Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate (ESDMD).

BioSentinel↗
NASA NTRS1967

Study of life support systems for space missions exceeding one year in duration, phase 1A. Volume 2 - Mission studies

The study covered by this report is a continuation of the work conducted under ' contract NAS 2-3012, Study of Life Support Systems For Space Missions Exceeding One Year In Duration Phase I. The previous work compared biological and chemical food processing systems with a stored food system for hypothetical missions of from 10 to 100 men for one to three years. The follow-on work Phase IA, the subject of this report, reviewed new concepts for waste processing and food manufacture in the closed system such as wastes for radiation shielding, wastes for propulsion, glycerol synthesis using chromatographic reactors, glycerol synthesis using acetylene as an intermediate, animal links, the use of radiophosphors for algae illumination, and new biological system approaches. The most promising of these new concepts were combined with the food producing systems evolved in Phase I and compared for three specific model missions; Earth orbit, lunar and mars. The effects of spacecraft power penalty, leakage rate, radiation shielding requirements and extravehicular expendable requirements were assessed and a cost effectiveness analysis was completed for each mission. The cost analysis compared the launch cost savings of the advanced systems with the R&D costs required to produce a flight ready system. The study results indicate that systems using wastes for radiation shielding, leakage makeup, or EVA expendables are very competitive with the biological and chemical food systems for all missions. The stored food baseline system and wastes for propulsion ranked poorly in the comparison studies.

R. B. Jagow↗