To Other Planets With Upgraded Millennial Kombucha in Rhythms of Sustainability and Health Support

Humankind has entered a new era of space exploration: settlements on other planetary bodies are foreseen in the near future. Advanced technologies are being developed to support the adaptation to extraterrestrial environments and, with a view on the longer term, to support the viability of an independent economy. Biological processes will likely play a key role and lead to the production of life-support consumables, and other commodities, in a way that is cheaper and more sustainable than exclusively abiotic processes. Microbial communities could be used to sustain the crews’ health as well as for the production of consumables, for waste recycling, and for biomining. They can self-renew with little resources from Earth, be highly productive on a per-volume basis, and be highly versatile—all of which will be critical in planetary outposts. Well-defined, semi-open, and stress-resistant microecosystems are particularly promising. An instance of it is kombucha, known worldwide as a microbial association that produces an eponymous, widespread soft drink that could be valuable for sustaining crews’ health or as a synbiotic (i.e., probiotic and prebiotic) after a rational assemblage of defined probiotic bacteria and yeasts with endemic or engineered cellulose producers. Bacterial cellulose products offer a wide spectrum of possible functions, from leather-like to innovative smart materials during long-term missions and future activities in extraterrestrial settlements. Cellulose production by kombucha is zero-waste and could be linked to bioregenerative life support system (BLSS) loops. Another advantage of kombucha lies in its ability to mobilize inorganic ions from rocks, which may help feed BLSS from local resources. Besides outlining those applications and others, we discuss needs for knowledge and other obstacles, among which is the biosafety of microbial producers.

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Review of research into bioregenerative life support system(s) which can support humans living in space

Life Sciences in Space Research ◽

10.1016/j.lssr.2021.09.003 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Hong Liu ◽

Zhikai Yao ◽

Yuming Fu ◽

Jiajie Feng

Keyword(s):

Support System ◽

Life Support ◽

Life Support System ◽

Bioregenerative Life Support System ◽

Bioregenerative Life Support

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The Role of Nutrient Solution Volume and Buffering Capacity in Hydroponic Bioregenerative Life Support System Design and Operation

10.4271/932284 ◽

1993 ◽

Author(s):

Larry W. Mason ◽

Patrick Thompson ◽

Jon R. Schulz ◽

Carolyn G. Cooley ◽

Benton C. Clark

Keyword(s):

System Design ◽

Nutrient Solution ◽

Support System ◽

Life Support ◽

Buffering Capacity ◽

Life Support System ◽

Bioregenerative Life Support System ◽

Bioregenerative Life Support ◽

Solution Volume

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Research on the hydrolysis of human urine using biological activated carbon and its application in bioregenerative life support system

Acta Astronautica ◽

10.1016/j.actaastro.2018.11.031 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 155 ◽

pp. 191-199

Author(s):

Guorong Zhu ◽

Guanghui Liu ◽

Dianlei Liu ◽

Haoxiang Chen ◽

Chenhao Fang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Activated Carbon ◽

Support System ◽

Human Urine ◽

Life Support ◽

Life Support System ◽

Biological Activated Carbon ◽

Bioregenerative Life Support System ◽

Hydrolysis Of ◽

Bioregenerative Life Support

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Recycling and Composting: Making a Molehill Out of a Mountain

The Waste Crisis ◽

10.1093/oso/9780195128987.003.0008 ◽

2000 ◽

Author(s):

Hans Tammemagi

Keyword(s):

Public Education ◽

Soft Drink ◽

New Products ◽

Waste Recycling ◽

The Public ◽

Local Television ◽

Integrated Waste Management ◽

Metal Aluminum ◽

P Recycling ◽

Voluntary Basis

Recycling, which includes composting, is the current rage. Almost every community in North America has established some kind of recycling program in the past few years. This chapter focuses on the science and technologies that are involved in recycling programs and explores what is needed to make these programs successful. This section describes the part of recycling that is associated with blue-box or streetside programs. It includes paper, cardboard, metal, aluminum, and plastics; composting is described in the next section. A successful waste recycling program relies on more than a systematic application of equipment and other resources. It also depends very significantly on attitude. It is vital that everyone participate. To achieve a meaningful level of participation, some degree of legislative guidance may be necessary. In fact, studies have shown that mandatory recycling programs are much more effective than those run on a voluntary basis (Platt et al., 1991). Legislation or bylaws can also be used to • stipulate that soft-drink, beer, wine, and other bottles be Reused • require the use of recycled material in manufacturing new products • avoid excessive packaging • reduce tipping fees for recyclable or compostable materials brought to designated drop-off sites • set higher tipping fees for waste from which recyclables have not been removed • ban the landfilling of certain substances, such as yard wastes Public education is an indispensable part of an integrated waste management system. First, the public must be informed of the details that involve them: what days pickups are made, how to obtain recycle containers, what materials can be recycled, how they are to be sorted, and so on. This information can be disseminated by flyers, newsletters, ads in the local paper, features on local television channels, and telephone hot lines. Second, an ethic of conservation should be instilled so that people will want to participate in three Rs programs. Methods of achieving this objective include videos and slide shows at schools, posters, buttons, and awards to businesses and groups that make outstanding contributions to recycling.

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Pulmonary Sarcoidosis

Seminars in Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine ◽

10.1055/s-0037-1603766 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 38 (04) ◽

pp. 437-449 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Martina Bonifazi ◽

Stefano Gasparini ◽

Veronica Alfieri ◽

Elisabetta Renzoni

Keyword(s):

Tissue Characterization ◽

Wide Spectrum ◽

Diagnostic Techniques ◽

Pulmonary Sarcoidosis ◽

Unknown Etiology ◽

Local Resources ◽

Clinical Scenarios ◽

Risk Of Progression ◽

Prognostic Implications ◽

Granulomatous Disorder

AbstractSarcoidosis is a systemic granulomatous disorder of unknown etiology, with a predilection for the respiratory system, involved in more than 90% of cases, with considerable variability in terms of patterns and prognostic implications. A protean interplay between genetic susceptibility and antigen exposure in selected environmental contexts is likely to define not only the risk for disease but also the different clinical phenotypes. Advances in imaging and functional tests over the past decades have increasingly broadened the awareness of the wide spectrum of features potentially occurring in pulmonary sarcoidosis, while the evolution of diagnostic techniques in interventional pulmonology has increased the possibility of obtaining tissue characterization more easily, by means of ultrasound-guided tools and cryotechnology. However, histological proof is not always needed, as, in selected scenarios with compatible clinical and imaging picture, a confirmatory biopsy is perceived as redundant. The diagnostic workup should be tailored on a case-by-case basis, according to an integrated assessment of clinical features, local resources, and expertise availability. Owing to the heterogeneity of possible clinical scenarios and the paucity of evidence-based data on treatments, a standardized clinical management has yet to be established, and general approach usually reflects expert opinion from accumulated clinical data. Key elements of decision-making process are to assess the baseline severity of disease, to stratify the risk of progression, and to define the goals of treatment.

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