The journey to Mars will be longer than any mission before. Astronaut needs for materials, nutraceuticals, and life support systems will critical. However, future missions may benefit from flexible, programmable, low power, and sustainable manufacturing processes driven by resources available during the mission. These resources include in situ minerals and feedstocks, solar energy, and waste generated by crew and space shuttle operation. Microbiological systems are well suited for utilizing such ill-defined resources and reliably manufacturing both specific and complex molecules. Our work is focused on using synthetic biology and metabolic engineering to develop <i>Y. lipolytica</i> as a platform organism to produce omega-3 fatty acids and polyhydroxyalkonoates (PHAs) from autotrophic cell waste and human urine. Our work demonstrates that <i>Y. lipolytica</i> is not only capable of using urine as a nitrogen source but it also grows more efficiently and produces higher lipid concentrations. Benefits and challenges of using waste substrates will be discussed and compared to defined media. Together, our work moves us closer to biomanufacturing for astronaut needs.

Biosynthesis of materials and nutraceuticals from astronaut waste: Towards closing the loop

254th National Meeting (2017)

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