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Award ID | Description | Recipient | Total Value | Awarding Agency | Funding Agency | Set Aside | NAICS | PSC | Award Date | Start Date | End Date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RAPID SYNTHESIS OF PLASMIDS AND MUTAGENSIS | J. CRAIG VENTER INSTITUTE, INC. | $3,618,126 | CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION | CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION | — | 541380Testing Laboratories and Services | Q301MEDICAL- LABORATORY TESTING | Sep 26, 2023 | Sep 30, 2023 | Sep 29, 2028 | ||
| BACKGROUND: IT IS EXPECTED THAT FUTURE MANNED SPACE MISSIONS INVOLVING EXTRAVEHICULAR ACTIVITIES (EVA) WILL REQUIRE NOVEL EVA ARCHITECTURES INCLUDING A SLIGHTLY HYPOBARIC HYPOXIC CABIN ATMOSPHERE (8.2 PSIA, 34% O2). HUMANS ARE WELL-ADAPTED TO LIVE AT | J. CRAIG VENTER INSTITUTE, INC. | $142,305 | NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION | NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION | — | — | AR11SPACE R&D SERVICES; SPACE FLIGHT, RESEARCH AND SUPPORTING ACTIVITIES; BASIC RESEARCH | Aug 12, 2021 | May 11, 2021 | Dec 10, 2023 | ||
| SPACEFLIGHT HAS DEMONSTRATED CONCERNING IMPACTS TO HUMAN PHYSIOLOGY, INCLUDING WELL DOCUMENTED IMMUNE SYSTEM DYSREGULATION. DIET, IMMUNE FUNCTION, AND THE MICROBIOME ARE INTERLINKED, BUT DIET IS THE ONLY ONE OF THESE FACTORS THAT WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO EASILY, AND SIGNIFICANTLY, ALTER ON EARTH OR DURING FLIGHT. IT IS EXPECTED THAT AS WE UNDERSTAND DIETARY IMPACTS MORE THOROUGHLY, WE MAY CONTINUE TO IMPROVE THE SPACEFLIGHT DIET IN DIRECT SUPPORT OF CREW HEALTH. WE PROPOSE HERE AN INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDY THAT WILL DETERMINE THE EFFECT OF THE CURRENT SPACEFLIGHT DIET COMPARED TO AN "ENHANCED" SPACEFLIGHT DIET (25% MORE FOODS RICH IN OMEGA-3 FATTY ACIDS, LYCOPENE, FLAVONOIDS, FRUITS, AND VEGETABLES), WITH COMPLETE DIETARY TRACKING, ON IMMUNE FUNCTION, GUT MICROBIOTA COMPOSITION, AND NUTRITIONAL STATUS OF CREW IN GROUND-CONTROL ANALOGS, AND ON ISS MISSIONS. WE HYPTHESIZE THAT BY INCREASING CONSUMPTION OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES AND BIOACTIVE COMPOUNDS (E.G., OMEGA-3 FATTY ACIDS, LYCOPENE, FLAVONOIDS) AND ENHANCING OVERALL NUTRITIONAL INTAKE DURING SPACEFLIGHT (OR A GROUND-BASED ANALOG OF SPACEFLIGHT) WE WILL IMPROVE HUMAN IMMUNOLOGICAL PROFILES, THE TAXONOMIC PROFILE OF THE GUT MICROBIOTA, AND NUTRITIONAL STATUS BIOMARKERS. POSITIVE ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN BENEFICIAL IMPROVEMENTS WILL PROVIDE EVIDENCE TO BETTER PREDICT THE IMPACT OF DIET ON CREW HEALTH AND ADAPTATION TO SPACEFLIGHT AND TO DESIGN TARGETED MORE-EFFICIENT DIETARY INTERVENTIONS. SPECIFICALLY, WE PROPOSE TO 1) IMPLEMENT A PILOT GROUND-CONTROL STUDY WITH ANALOG CREW RANDOMIZED BETWEEN TWO SPACEFLIGHT DIETS, AND DETERMINE DIET EFFECTS ON IMMUNE DYSREGULATION, INCLUDING LEUKOCYTE DISTRIBUTION, INFLAMMATORY CYTOKINE PROFILES, T CELL FUNCTION, AND OTHER RELEVANT IMMUNOLOGICAL MARKERS, THE TAXONOMIC AND METATRANSCRIPTOMIC PROFILE OF THE GUT MICROBIOME, AND NUTRITIONAL BIOMARKERS AND METABOLITES AT SELECTED INTERVALS, AND STATISTICALLY EVALUATE TO ASSOCIATE SHIFTS ACROSS EACH MEASURE AND IN RELATION TO NUTRIENT INTAKE; AND 2) DETERMINE EFFECTS OF DIET ON IMMUNE DYSREGULATION, INCLUDING LEUKOCYTE DISTRIBUTION, INFLAMMATORY CYTOKINE PROFILES, T CELL FUNCTION, AND OTHER RELEVANT IMMUNOLOGICAL MARKERS, THE TAXONOMIC AND METATRANSCRIPTOMIC PROFILE OF THE GUT MICROBIOME, AND NUTRITIONAL BIOMARKERS AND METABOLITES AT SELECTED INTERVALS IN SPACEFLIGHT AND STATISTICALLY EVALUATE TO ASSOCIATE SHIFTS ACROSS EACH MEASURE, AND IN RELATION TO GROUND-CONTROL DATA. THIS STUDY SPECIFICALLY ADDRESSES THE B.4 RESEARCH EMPHASIS 3 - UNDERSTANDING HOW COMPLEX ORGANISMS ADAPT TO SPACEFLIGHT, BY PROVIDING DETAILED COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS OF THE EFFECT OF DIET ON THE HUMAN IMMUNE SYSTEM, GUT MICROBIOTA, AND NUTRITIONAL STATUS DURING HUMAN ADAPTATION TO SPACEFLIGHT. | J. CRAIG VENTER INSTITUTE, INC. | $400,616 | NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION | NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION | — | — | AR21 | Jul 16, 2019 | Apr 2, 2019 | Mar 31, 2025 | ||
| DARPA RESEARCH PROJECT | J. CRAIG VENTER INSTITUTE, INC. | $1,181,897 | DEFENSE ADVANCED RESEARCH PROJECTS AGENCY (DARPA) | DEFENSE ADVANCED RESEARCH PROJECTS AGENCY (DARPA) | — | 541714Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) | AD92 | Apr 15, 2019 | Apr 5, 2019 | Dec 31, 2020 | ||
| SINCE THE BEGINNING OF SPACE EXPLORATION THERE IS A CONCERN ABOUT INTERPLANETARY CROSS-CONTAMINATION. ROBOTIC VEHICLES AND THE EXTERIORS OF MANNED SPACECRAFT REPRESENT EXTREME ENVIRONMENTS FOR EARTH ORGANISMS DUE TO THE PHYSICAL EXTREMES OF OUTER SPACE AND THE THOROUGH DECONTAMINATION PROCEDURES APPLIED TO SPACECRAFT BEFORE LAUNCH. HOWEVER, RECENT STUDIES SHOW THAT MAMY MICROORGANISMS ARE ABLE TO WITHSTAND THESE HARSH ENVIRONMENTS/PROCEDURES AND EVEN SURVIVE UNDER MARS-LIKE CONDITIONS. CURRENT NASA STANDARD PROCEDURES FOR ASSESSING MICROBIAL BIOBURDEN ON SPACECRAFT INVOLVE CULTURE BASED METHODOLOGIES THAT ARE TIME CONSUMING. ALSO, A SERIOUS LIMITATION OF THIS APPROACH IS THAT MOST MICROBIAL ORGANISMS ARE NON-CULTIVABLE AND HENCE, IT IS LIKELY TO SEVERELY UNDERESTIMATE THE LEVEL OF MICROBIAL CONTAMINATION. HERE WE PROPOSE TO DEVELOP AN EFFICIENT AND SENSITIVE MOLECULAR METHODOLOGY FOR THE RAPID IDENTIFICATION AND QUANTIFICATION OF CONTAMINATING MICROBIOTA BASED ON LAMP AMPLIFICATION AND MINION SEQUENCING. TO ACHIEVE THIS GOAL, WE PROPOSE THE FOLLOWING SPECIFIC AIMS: AIM 1: QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS OF MICROBIAL SPECIES PRESENT ON THE SURFACE OF CLEANROOMS BEFORE, DURING AND AFTER SPACECRAFT ASSEMBLY IN PREPARATION FOR THE INSIGHT MISSION. WE WILL PERFORM BACTERIAL 16S/FUNGAL ITS1 AMPLIFICATION BY QPCR FOLLOWED BY ILLUMINA SEQUENCING OF SAMPLES COLLECTED FROM CLEANROOM SURFACES AT KEY TIME-POINTS DURING MISSION PREPARATION. QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE COMPARISON OF MICROBIAL SPECIES PROFILES BEFORE AND AFTER PMA TREATMENT WILL ALLOW US TO CONSTRUCT A CATALOG OF ORGANISMS ABLE TO ENDURE THE DECONTAMINATION TREATMENT APPLIED TO SPACECRAFT AND CLEANROOM SURFACES. AIM 2: GENOMIC CHARACTERIZATION OF MICROBIAL COMMUNITIES THAT WITHSTAND SPACECRAFT DECONTAMINATION PROCESSES AND ASSESS THEIR CAPACITY TO ENDURE OUTER SPACE OR EXTRATERRESTRIAL ENVIRONMENTS. WE WILL IDENTIFY GENETIC SIGNATURES SPECIFIC OF MICROORGANISM RESISTANT TO DECONTAMINATION AND/OR EXTRATERRESTRIAL ENVIRONMENTS THROUGH WHOLE GENOME SEQUENCING AND ANALYSIS OF 180 BACTERIAL ISOLATES THAT HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO SURVIVE IN CONDITIONS SIMILAR TO THOSE FOUND ON THE MARTIAN SURFACE. IN ADDITION, WE WILL PERFORM A METAGENOMIC SEQUENCING APPROACH TO CHARACTERIZE THE METABOLIC CAPACITY OF THE MICROBIAL COMMUNITIES PRESENT IN THE INSIGHT SAMPLES AND EVALUATE THEIR POTENTIAL OF SURVIVING ON THE MARS SURFACE BY COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS AGAINST METAGENOMIC SAMPLES FROM RELEVANT EXTREME ENVIRONMENTS AND WHOLE GENOME SEQUENCING DATA FROM THE 180 RESISTANT ISOLATES. AIM 3: TO IMPLEMENT A RAPID AND COST-EFFECTIVE LAMP 16S/ITS1 AMPLIFICATION AND MINION SEQUENCING PROTOCOL FOR THE IDENTIFICATION OF MICROBIAL CONTAMINANTS PRESENT ON THE SURFACE OF ASSEMBLY CLEANROOM. WE WILL EVALUATE THE PERFORMANCE OF MINION TECHNOLOGY DURING THE CHARACTERIZATION OF EXTANT MICROBIAL COMMUNITIES FROM INSIGT SAMPLES COMPARED TO ILLUMINA-BASED TAXONOMIC PROFILES FROM AIM 1. WE WILL ALSO DEVELOP A LAMP PROTOCOL TO AMPLIFYING 16S AND ITS1 MOLECULAR MARKERS THAT WILL THEN BE SEQUENCED WITH MINION. FINALLY, WE WILL ADJUST JCVI 16S/ITS1 ILLUMINA PROCESSING PIPELINE TO WORK ON MINION READS DERIVED FROM LAMP AMPLICONS TO IMPROVE MINION-BASED TAXONOMIC PROFILING. THE PROPOSED RESEARCH IS RELEVANT TO THE PLANETARY PROTECTION RESEARCH PROGRAM IN THAT ITS MAIN GOAL IS TO DEVELOP A NOVEL, SENSITIVE MOLECULAR ANALYTICAL METHODS FOR THE RAPID IDENTIFICATION AND QUANTIFICATION OF A BROAD RANGE OF MICROBIAL ORGANISMS TO ASSESS THE LIKELIHOOD OF FORWARD (AND POTENTIALLY BACKWARD) CONTAMINATION. SIGNIFICANCE: ONCE DEVELOPED, THE PROPOSED METHODOLOGY WILL HELP SETTING NEW, MORE SENSITIVE AND INFORMATIVE STANDARDS FOR ASSESSING BIOBURDEN DURING SPACECRAFT PREPARATION AND OPERATING PROCEDURES ON EARTH, THAT CAN POTENTIALLY BE APPLIED DURING SPACE MISSIONS OR IN OTHER PLANETS. | J. CRAIG VENTER INSTITUTE, INC. | $379,373 | NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION | NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION | — | — | AR21 | Feb 5, 2019 | Dec 3, 2018 | Dec 2, 2023 | ||
| GENETIC SEQUENCING OF DEHISCED WOUNDS | J. CRAIG VENTER INSTITUTE, INC. | $2,207,837 | DEFENSE HEALTH AGENCY (DHA) | DEFENSE HEALTH AGENCY (DHA) | — | 541715Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology) | AN17 | Sep 23, 2018 | Sep 24, 2018 | Sep 23, 2023 | ||
| INTERIM REPORT 1 | J. CRAIG VENTER INSTITUTE, INC. | $513,486 | WASHINGTON HEADQUARTERS SERVICES (WHS) | WASHINGTON HEADQUARTERS SERVICES (WHS) | — | 541720Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities | R499SUPPORT- PROFESSIONAL: OTHER | Jul 31, 2018 | Aug 1, 2018 | Jul 31, 2020 | ||
| VIRUSES ARE UBIQUITOUS IN THE WORLD􀁅S OCEANS, PLAYING AN ESSENTIAL ROLE IN BIOGEOCHEMICAL PROCESSES WHILE REPRESENTING A VAST SOURCE OF GENETIC DIVERSITY. YET WE STILL KNOW LITTLE ABOUT NATURAL VIRAL COMMUNITIES. HYDROTHERMAL SYSTEMS HAVE BEEN PREVALENT ON EARTH SINCE THE PLANET WAS FORMED AND ITS HYPOTHESIZED THAT LIFE MAY HAVE ORIGINATED AND EVOLVED NEAR DEEP-SEA HYDROTHERMAL VENTS, MAKING THEM THE MOST ANCIENT CONTINUOUSLY INHABITED ECOSYSTEMS ON THE PLANET. EXTANT ORGANISMS LIVING IN THESE ANALOGUES OF EARLY HABITATS MAY STILL HARBOR GENETIC AND METABOLIC CHARACTERISTICS OF EARLY LIFE. VIRUSES PLAY A CRITICAL ROLE IN THE ULTIMATE SURVIVAL OF MICROBES BY MEDIATING HOST FUNCTIONAL DIVERSIFICATION AND ENHANCING ADAPTABILITY VIA HORIZONTAL GENE TRANSFER AND LYSOGENY, A REPLICATION STRATEGY ENABLING THE VIRUS TO INCORPORATE ITS GENOME INTO THEIR HOSTS (PROPHAGE). IN THIS PROJECT, WE WILL EXAMINE THE LIFESTYLE AND IMPACT OF VIRUSES ON MICROBIAL COMMUNITIES IN THE SUBSEAFLOOR OF DEEP-SEA HYDROTHERMAL VENTS. WE WILL INVESTIGATE DNA AND RNA VIRUSES, THE LATTER COMPRISING THE MOST ANCIENT GROUP OF VIRUSES ON OUR PLANET. OUR RESEARCH PLAN WILL DETERMINE INFECTION DYNAMICS AND INTERROGATE HOST ASSOCIATIONS, BOTH OF WHICH ARE KNOWN TO LEAD TO PHYSIOLOGICAL ALTERATIONS AND WIDE-RANGING EVOLUTIONARY TRAJECTORIES. SPECIFIC GOALS WE PLAN TO ADDRESS INCLUDE, I) DETERMINE PHAGE HOST RANGE AND SPECIFICITY TO DIVERSE MICROBIAL HOST ISOLATES FROM DEEP-SEA HYDROTHERMAL VENTS II) DETERMINE ROLE OF VENT VIRUSES IN MICROBIAL HOST EVOLUTION AND ECOLOGY AT DEEPSEA HYDROTHERMAL VENTS III) IDENTIFY NOVEL RNA VIRUSES FROM DEEP-SEA HYDROTHERMAL VENTS. ELUCIDATION OF THESE GOALS WILL ALLOW US TO BETTER CONSTRAIN THE IMPACT OF VIRAL COMMUNITIES IN THE SUBSEAFLOOR AND EXAMINE THE NATURE OF VIRUS-HOST INTERACTIONS AS MODELS FOR UNDERSTANDING EARLY LIFE. WE WILL USE VIRAL INFECTION STUDIES TO EXPERIMENTALLY INVESTIGATE ISOLATES FROM A PHYLOGENETICALLY DIVERSE COLLECTION OF CULTURED VENT MICROBES, INCLUDING BOTH BACTERIA AND ARCHAEA. THE EXISTING CULTURE COLLECTION WILL FACILITATE TESTING HOST-RANGES OF VIRAL ISOLATES, INDICATING POSSIBLE EVOLUTIONARY BREAKPOINTS OF VIRAL TRANSFER. CULTURED ISOLATES WILL BE INTERROGATED USING PROPHAGE INDUCTION ASSAYS AND CHALLENGE EXPERIMENTS FOLLOWED BY SEQUENCING AND MICROSCOPY. TO IDENTIFY THE HOST RANGE/SPECIFICITY OF PHAGE ISOLATED, PHAGE WILL BE MIXED WITHIN AND BETWEEN RELATED HOST MICROBIAL GENERA. INCREASES IN PHAGE TITERS WILL BE MEASURED TO EVALUATE AMPLIFICATION DURING INFECTION. GENOMIC-BASED TECHNOLOGIES OF VIRUSES AND MICROBES WILL BE LEVERAGED TO INTERROGATE VIRUSES, THEIR HOSTS, AND INTERACTIONS. WE WILL COMPUTATIONALLY INTERROGATE OMICS INFORMATION FOR EVIDENCE OF VIRAL-MEDIATED CELLULAR GENE TRANSFER AND LYSOGENIC CONVERSION, AND HOST IMMUNITY MARKERS RESULTING FROM PAST INFECTION. FINALLY, RNA VIRUSES, INCLUDING RETROVIRUSES, WILL BE CHARACTERIZED VIA HOMOLOGY BINNING AND PHYLOGENETICS FROM COMMUNITY METAGENOMIC, TRANSCRIPTOMIC DATA. THE STUDY OF EXTREMOPHILIC ORGANISMS AND THEIR METABOLIC PATHWAYS, HABITATS, AND DISTRIBUTION IS ESSENTIAL TO UNDERSTANDING THE ORIGIN AND EVOLUTION OF LIFE ON EARTH, THE MAIN GOAL OF NASA􀁅S EXOBIOLOGY AND EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY PROGRAM. VIRUSES ARE IMPORTANT EVOLUTIONARY DRIVERS OF NATURAL MICROBIAL COMMUNITIES, AND EXAMINATIONS OF VIRAL COMMUNITIES IN THE ROCK-HOSTED OCEANIC SUBSEAFLOOR ARE JUST BEGINNING THAT HOLD GREAT PROMISE FOR REVEALING NEW INFORMATION ABOUT REMOTE LIFE ON EARTH AND THE POSSIBILITIES FOR LIFE ON OTHER PLANETARY BODIES. OUTREACH ACTIVITIES INCLUDE TRAINING UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS AT A SMALL LIBERAL ARTS COLLEGE IN CUTTING-EDGE GENOMICS AND BIOINFORMATICS TECHNIQUES AND DEVELOPING AN EXTREME VIRUS MODULE FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS | J. CRAIG VENTER INSTITUTE, INC. | $235,675 | NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION | NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION | — | — | AR21 | Jul 18, 2018 | Jul 1, 2018 | Jun 30, 2020 | ||
| IGF::OT::IGF IMPROVED BIOINFORMATICS TOOLS | J. CRAIG VENTER INSTITUTE, INC. | $283,462 | CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION | CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION | — | 541711 | AN11HEALTH R&D SERVICES; HEALTH CARE SERVICES; BASIC RESEARCH | Sep 22, 2017 | Sep 29, 2017 | Sep 28, 2018 | ||
| THE DISEASE-CAUSING ORGANISMS BURKHOLDERIA MULTIVORANS, B. CEPACIA, GENOMOVARS OF THE B. CEPACIA COMPLEX (BCC), AS WELL AS AN UNCLASSIFIED SPECIES OF BURKHOLDERIA, AND ITS RELATIVES RALSTONIA PICKETTII AND R. INSIDIOSA ACCOUNT FOR 60% OF THE BACTERIAL ISOLATES OBTAINED FROM THE FILTRATED WATER SYSTEM ON BOARD THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION (ISS). MEMBERS OF THESE GENERA CAN SURVIVE LONG PERIODS IN A PLANKTONIC STATE IN DISTILLED WATER OR AS BIOFILMS WITHIN AN INFECTED INDIVIDUAL. THEY ARE ALSO NATIVELY RESISTANT TO SEVERAL ANTIBIOTICS LEAVING TREATMENT OPTIONS COMPLEX. FOR BCC ORGANISMS, THIS COMPLEXITY IS INCREASED BY THE PHENOMENON OF BACTERIAL PERSISTENCE WHERE A GENETICALLY IDENTICAL SUBPOPULATION OF THE BACTERIA SUSTAINS UNDER HIGH ANTIBIOTIC CHALLENGE BY A REDUCTION IN METABOLISM AND OTHER UNKNOWN MECHANISMS. A HEALTHY ASTRONAUT COULD EASILY CLEAR A BCC OR RALSTONIA SP. INFECTION; HOWEVER, AFTER PROLONGED SPACEFLIGHT, A POTENTIALLY IMMUNOCOMPROMISED ASTRONAUT WITH REPEATED EXPOSURE TO THESE ORGANISMS COULD BE AT RISK FOR DISEASE. IN OUR WORK WITH BURKHOLDERIA PSEUDOMALLEI -THE CAUSATIVE AGENT OF MELIOIDOSIS- WE HAVE OBSERVED BY MEANS OF TRANSPOSON SEQUENCING (TNSEQ), THAT A COMMON SET OF GENES HELP THE WILDTYPE BACTERIA PERSIST REGARDLESS OF THE MODE OF ACTION OF THE ANTIBIOTIC USED FOR CHALLENGE. WE HAVE FOUND A CYSTEINE SYNTHASE GENE, WHOSE INHIBITION COULD ENHANCE EXISTING ANTIBIOTICS BY INTERFERING WITH THE BACTERIASPECIFIC SULFUR ASSIMILATION AND CYSTEINE SYNTHESIS PATHWAYS. IT IS LIKELY THAT METABOLIC REGULATION PLAYS A ROLE IN THE ABILITY FOR BCC AND RALSTONIA STRAINS TO PERSIST IN THE ISS POTABLE WATER IN A PLANKTONIC STATE. IT IS ALSO PROBABLE THAT THE SAME MECHANISMS WHICH INCREASE SURVIVORSHIP CAN IN TURN ENHANCE VIRULENCE AND LEND TO PERSISTENT BIOFILMS IN THE GASTROINTESTINAL OR RESPIRATORY TRACT OF THE INFECTED INDIVIDUAL. TO UNDERSTAND THE MECHANISMS THAT WOULD CONTRIBUTE TO ALTERED VIRULENCE IN ISS BCC AND RALSTONIA SPECIES, THE GENOMES OF 67 ISOLATES FROM 22 MISSIONS WILL BE SEQUENCED AND COMPARED TO THEIR RESPECTIVE ATCC BCC OR RALSTONIA STRAIN. THE POTENTIAL FOR INCREASED VIRULENCE WILL BE DETERMINED BY THE PRESENCE OF GENES CLUSTERED AS PATHOGENICITY ISLANDS IN THE RESPECTIVE GENOME. TO ESTABLISH IF THE STRAINS ARE BECOMING MORE RESISTANT TO ANTIBIOTICS, A MINIMUM INHIBITORY CONCENTRATION (MIC) WILL BE DETERMINED FOR EACH ISOLATE USING SIX ANTIBIOTICS CURRENTLY USED TO TREAT THE INFECTIONS AND THEN COMPARED TO THE RESPECTIVE ATCC CONTROL STRAIN. FINALLY, A TRANSPOSON LIBRARY WILL BE GENERATED FOR THE MOST VIRULENT, RESISTANT, TOLERANT OR PERSISTENT STRAIN, AND THIS LIBRARY WILL BE CULTURED IN DISTILLED WATER TO SIMULATE CONDITIONS ON THE ISS. HERE WE WILL IDENTIFY GENES WHICH AID IN THE SURVIVORSHIP OF BCC AND RALSTONIA STRAINS IN THE WATER SYSTEM OF THE ISS. THE KNOWLEDGE GAINED FROM THIS GENOMIC SEQUENCING AND TNSEQ STUDY WILL ALLOW US TO ASSESS ANY INCREASED VIRULENCE OR INFECTION POTENTIAL, AS WELL AS HELP TO MAKE ANTIBIOTIC RECOMMENDATIONS, PREDICT TARGET GENES WHERE INHIBITION BY ADJUVANTS WILL ENHANCE ANTIBIOTIC THERAPY, OR PRESENT NOVEL WATER TREATMENT OPTIONS TO ERADICATE THE BCC/RALSTONIA STRAINS FROM THE POTABLE WATER OF THE ISS. | J. CRAIG VENTER INSTITUTE, INC. | $137,076 | NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION | NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION | — | — | AR21 | Aug 16, 2017 | Jun 6, 2017 | Jul 13, 2020 | ||
| IGF::OT::IGF GENOME SEQUENCING AND ANALYSES | J. CRAIG VENTER INSTITUTE, INC. | $294,696 | DEPT OF THE ARMY | DEPT OF THE ARMY | — | 541712 | AN11HEALTH R&D SERVICES; HEALTH CARE SERVICES; BASIC RESEARCH | May 15, 2017 | May 15, 2017 | Jul 31, 2019 | ||
| SPACEFLIGHT HAS DEMONSTRATED CONCERNING IMPACTS TO HUMAN PHYSIOLOGY, INCLUDING WELL DOCUMENTED IMMUNE SYSTEM DYSREGULATION. DIET, IMMUNE FUNCTION, AND THE MICROBIOME ARE INTERLINKED, BUT DIET IS THE ONLY ONE OF THESE FACTORS THAT WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO EASILY, AND SIGNIFICANTLY, ALTER ON EARTH OR DURING FLIGHT. IT IS EXPECTED THAT AS WE UNDERSTAND DIETARY IMPACTS MORE THOROUGHLY, WE MAY CONTINUE TO IMPROVE THE SPACEFLIGHT DIET IN DIRECT SUPPORT OF CREW HEALTH. WE PROPOSE HERE AN INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDY THAT WILL DETERMINE THE EFFECT OF THE CURRENT SPACEFLIGHT DIET COMPARED TO AN "ENHANCED" SPACEFLIGHT DIET (25% MORE FOODS RICH IN OMEGA-3 FATTY ACIDS, LYCOPENE, FLAVONOIDS, FRUITS, AND VEGETABLES), WITH COMPLETE DIETARY TRACKING, ON IMMUNE FUNCTION, GUT MICROBIOTA COMPOSITION, AND NUTRITIONAL STATUS OF CREW IN GROUND-CONTROL ANALOGS, AND ON ISS MISSIONS. WE HYPTHESIZE THAT BY INCREASING CONSUMPTION OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES AND BIOACTIVE COMPOUNDS (E.G., OMEGA-3 FATTY ACIDS, LYCOPENE, FLAVONOIDS) AND ENHANCING OVERALL NUTRITIONAL INTAKE DURING SPACEFLIGHT (OR A GROUND-BASED ANALOG OF SPACEFLIGHT) WE WILL IMPROVE HUMAN IMMUNOLOGICAL PROFILES, THE TAXONOMIC PROFILE OF THE GUT MICROBIOTA, AND NUTRITIONAL STATUS BIOMARKERS. POSITIVE ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN BENEFICIAL IMPROVEMENTS WILL PROVIDE EVIDENCE TO BETTER PREDICT THE IMPACT OF DIET ON CREW HEALTH AND ADAPTATION TO SPACEFLIGHT AND TO DESIGN TARGETED MORE-EFFICIENT DIETARY INTERVENTIONS. SPECIFICALLY, WE PROPOSE TO 1) IMPLEMENT A PILOT GROUND-CONTROL STUDY WITH ANALOG CREW RANDOMIZED BETWEEN TWO SPACEFLIGHT DIETS, AND DETERMINE DIET EFFECTS ON IMMUNE DYSREGULATION, INCLUDING LEUKOCYTE DISTRIBUTION, INFLAMMATORY CYTOKINE PROFILES, T CELL FUNCTION, AND OTHER RELEVANT IMMUNOLOGICAL MARKERS, THE TAXONOMIC AND METATRANSCRIPTOMIC PROFILE OF THE GUT MICROBIOME, AND NUTRITIONAL BIOMARKERS AND METABOLITES AT SELECTED INTERVALS, AND STATISTICALLY EVALUATE TO ASSOCIATE SHIFTS ACROSS EACH MEASURE AND IN RELATION TO NUTRIENT INTAKE; AND 2) DETERMINE EFFECTS OF DIET ON IMMUNE DYSREGULATION, INCLUDING LEUKOCYTE DISTRIBUTION, INFLAMMATORY CYTOKINE PROFILES, T CELL FUNCTION, AND OTHER RELEVANT IMMUNOLOGICAL MARKERS, THE TAXONOMIC AND METATRANSCRIPTOMIC PROFILE OF THE GUT MICROBIOME, AND NUTRITIONAL BIOMARKERS AND METABOLITES AT SELECTED INTERVALS IN SPACEFLIGHT AND STATISTICALLY EVALUATE TO ASSOCIATE SHIFTS ACROSS EACH MEASURE, AND IN RELATION TO GROUND-CONTROL DATA. THIS STUDY SPECIFICALLY ADDRESSES THE B.4 RESEARCH EMPHASIS 3 - UNDERSTANDING HOW COMPLEX ORGANISMS ADAPT TO SPACEFLIGHT, BY PROVIDING DETAILED COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS OF THE EFFECT OF DIET ON THE HUMAN IMMUNE SYSTEM, GUT MICROBIOTA, AND NUTRITIONAL STATUS DURING HUMAN ADAPTATION TO SPACEFLIGHT. | J. CRAIG VENTER INSTITUTE, INC. | $232,937 | NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION | NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION | — | — | AR21 | Nov 4, 2016 | Oct 18, 2016 | Oct 17, 2020 | ||
| IGF::OT::IGF ESTEP FOR MICROBIAL FUEL CELL TECHNOLOGY R&D | J. CRAIG VENTER INSTITUTE, INC. | $545,261 | DEPT OF THE NAVY | DEPT OF THE NAVY | — | 541712 | AG93 | Aug 22, 2016 | Aug 22, 2016 | May 28, 2019 | ||
| IGF::OT::IGF GENOME TESTING/COMPARATIVE GENOMICS STUDY | J. CRAIG VENTER INSTITUTE, INC. | $30,000 | NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION | NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION | — | 541711 | AJ51 | Aug 17, 2016 | Aug 17, 2016 | Nov 30, 2016 | ||
| IGF::OT::IGF ENERGY AND WATER RECOOVERY BY MFC | J. CRAIG VENTER INSTITUTE, INC. | $146,540 | DEPT OF THE NAVY | DEPT OF THE NAVY | — | 541711 | AJ51 | Nov 3, 2015 | Oct 28, 2015 | Oct 28, 2016 | ||
| IGF::CL,CT::IGF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT SERVICES FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY DIRECTORATE, CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL DEFENSE DIVISION FOR THE DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION OF SEQUENCE SUBTRACTION DATABASES TO IMPROVE VIRUS DISCOVERY THROUGH NEXT GENERATION SEQUENCING. | J. CRAIG VENTER INSTITUTE, INC. | $1,135,654 | OFFICE OF PROCUREMENT OPERATIONS | Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction | — | 541712 | AZ11 | Sep 30, 2015 | Sep 30, 2015 | Dec 31, 2017 | ||
| ENERGY AND WATER RECOVERY BY MICROBIAL FUEL CELL IGF::OT::IGF | J. CRAIG VENTER INSTITUTE, INC. | $35,000 | DEPT OF THE NAVY | DEPT OF THE NAVY | — | 541690Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services | AJ52 | Mar 5, 2015 | Mar 5, 2015 | Mar 4, 2016 | ||
| IGF::CL::IGF THE PURPOSE OF DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY CONTRACT HSHQDC-13-C-B0016 IS TO PROVIDE FUNDING FOR THE UNIVERSAL SOP FOR GENERATION, BARCODING AND AMPLIFICATION OF CDNA FROM GENOMIC RNA OF BSL-3/4 VIRUSES PROJECT. THIS IS A TIME-AND-MATERIALS (T&M) TYPE CONTRACT. ALL WORK SHALL BE DONE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE DETAILED STATEMENT OF WORK ATTACHED TO THIS CONTRACT AS ATTACHMENT 1. | J. CRAIG VENTER INSTITUTE, INC. | $1,523,531 | OFFICE OF PROCUREMENT OPERATIONS | SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY | — | 541711 | AZ11 | Sep 9, 2013 | Sep 6, 2013 | Nov 21, 2017 | ||
| RECOVERY OF RESOURCES IS CRITICAL FOR REDUCING UP-MASS AND FACILITATING LONG-DURATION AND SELF-SUSTAINING NASA MISSIONS. THE ABILITY TO PROVIDE VITAL LIFE SUPPORT, HIGH-VALUE PRODUCTS, AND TO APPROACH ENERGY SELF-SUFFICIENCY IS KEY TO ADDRESSING THESE NEEDS. HERE WE PROPOSE A NEXT STEP TOWARD REALIZING A BIOELECTROCHEMICAL SYSTEM THAT CAN EFFICIENTLY UTILIZE ELECTRICAL CURRENT, PROTONS, AND CARBON DIOXIDE TO SUSTAIN LIFE SUPPORT PROCESSES AND PRODUCE HIGH-VALUE COMMODITIES, STARTING WITH METHANE. BIOELECTROCHEMICAL SYSTEMS EMPLOY MICROBES AS CATALYSTS TO USE ELECTRICAL CURRENT AS AN ENERGY SOURCE AND CO2 AS A CARBON SOURCE TO PRODUCE USEFUL COMMODITIES INCLUDING FUEL, BIOPLASTICS, FOOD AND PHARMACEUTICALS. THE NATURAL MICROBIAL CULTURES AND COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE BEEN BIOELECTROCHEMICALLY CHARACTERIZED TO-DATE ARE ABLE TO DRIVE BOTH OXIDATION AND REDUCTION REACTIONS AT ENERGY RECOVERY EFFICIENCIES UP TO 50%. HOWEVER, HIGHER EFFICIENCIES MAY BE ATTAINED BY ENGINEERING ORGANISMS TO HAVE OPTIMIZED METABOLIC AND ENERGY PATHWAYS FOR CATALYZING BIOELECTROCHEMICAL PROCESSES. TOOLS FOR GENETIC ENGINEERING AND SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY ARE CONSISTENTLY IMPROVING AND ENABLE THE PRACTICAL ENGINEERING OF MICROORGANISMS FOR SPECIFIC APPLICATIONS. MATHEMATICAL MODELING OF BIOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS IS ALSO BECOMING AN INCREASINGLY USEFUL METHOD FOR IDENTIFYING RATE LIMITING REACTIONS AND HIGHLIGHTING THOSE ENZYMES AND PATHWAYS THAT COULD BE ENGINEERED TO IMPROVE DESIRED OUTCOMES. SUCH APPROACHES HAVE ONLY RECENTLY BEEN APPLIED TO BIOELECTROCHEMICAL SYSTEMS. TO OUR KNOWLEDGE, RESEARCHERS HAVE NOT YET REPORTED A MODEL OF BIOELECTROSYNTHESIS FOR METHANOGENS, A VALIDATED BIOELECTROSYNTHESIS MODEL BASED ON LABORATORY DATA, OR A SUCCESSFUL ENGINEERING METHODOLOGY FOR IMPROVING ELECTRON UPTAKE FROM SOLID SURFACES IN METHANOGENIC MICROBES. TO ACHIEVE THE GOAL OF BUILDING BIOELECTROCHEMICAL SYSTEMS FOR SUSTAINABLE LIFE SUPPORT, WE WILL APPLY A SYSTEMATIC BIOLOGICAL ENGINEERING APPROACH FOR DEVELOPING OPTIMIZED BIOCATALYSTS THAT ARE NASA MISSION RELEVANT. BUILDING UPON THE BIOELECTROMETHANOGENESIS WORK DONE IN THE PREVIOUS YEAR, THE PROPOSED EFFORT INVOLVES TWO TASKS: 1) ENGINEERING ELECTROMETHANOGENIC MICROORGANISMS, AND 2) MODELING ELECTROMETHANOGENSIS. BOTH TASKS WILL BE EXECUTED IN PARALLEL SO THAT THE LABORATORY RESULTS FROM TASK 1 CAN BE USED TO VALIDATE THE MODEL DEVELOPED IN TASK 2, AND THE TASK 2 MODEL CAN BE USED TO IMPROVE AND DIRECT THE MICROBIAL ENGINEERING STRATEGIES IN TASK 1. THESE COMBINED EFFORTS WILL FURTHER CONTRIBUTE TOWARD THE REALIZATION OF A FULLY INTEGRATED, SUSTAINABLE, BIOELECTROCHEMICAL SYSTEM THAT CAN PROVIDE VITAL RESOURCES FOR NASA MISSIONS AND TERRESTRIAL APPLICATIONS. | J. CRAIG VENTER INSTITUTE, INC. | $699,998 | NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION | NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION | — | — | AR21 | Mar 28, 2013 | Mar 15, 2013 | Aug 30, 2014 | ||
| IGF::OT::IGF "OTHER FUNCTIONS" USDA PEANUT RNASEQUENCING BUDGET | J. CRAIG VENTER INSTITUTE, INC. | $10,000 | AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH SERVICE | AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH SERVICE | — | 541990All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | B529SPECIAL STUDIES/ANALYSIS- SCIENTIFIC DATA | Sep 5, 2012 | Sep 5, 2012 | Nov 27, 2013 | ||
| IGF::OT::IGF OTHER FUNCTIONS - J. CRAIG VENTER INSTITUTE TO PROVIDE ANALYSIS OF 16S SEQUENCES OF HUMAN ORAL MICROBIOME. | J. CRAIG VENTER INSTITUTE, INC. | $3,478 | NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH | NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH | — | 541711 | R499SUPPORT- PROFESSIONAL: OTHER | May 21, 2012 | May 21, 2012 | Sep 30, 2012 | ||
| THE VISION OF LIVING FOUNDRIES IS ONE WHERE NEW AND MULTIPLE CELLULAR FUNCTIONS ARE READILY CONSTRUCTED, COMBINED, AND CONTROLLED BY AN INTEGRATED GENETIC CIRCUITRY. THE ULTIMATE EFFECT OF WHICH WILL BE TO OPEN UP THE FULL SPACE OF BIOLOGICALLY PRODUCED MATERIALS AND SYSTEMS. TO ACHIEVE THIS, NEW TOOLS, TECHNOLOGIES AND METHODOLOGIES THAT DIRECTLY ADDRESS OUR CURRENT LIMITATIONS AND EXPAND OUR CAPABILITIES MUST BE DEVELOPED. THE OUTCOME SHOULD BE AN OPEN TECHNOLOGY PLATFORM THAT INTEGRATES THESE TOOLS AND CAPABILITIES, ALLOWING NEW DESIGNS TO RAPIDLY MOVE FROM CONCEPTION TO EXECUTION. | J. CRAIG VENTER INSTITUTE, INC. | $3,007,321 | DEFENSE CONTRACT MANAGEMENT AGENCY (DCMA) | DEFENSE ADVANCED RESEARCH PROJECTS AGENCY (DARPA) | — | 541711 | AD91 | May 17, 2012 | May 17, 2012 | Dec 12, 2017 | ||
| THE VISION OF LIVING FOUNDRIES IS ONE WHERE NEW AND MULTIPLE CELLULAR FUNCTIONS ARE READILY CONSTRUCTED, COMBINED, AND CONTROLLED BY AN INTEGRATED GENETIC CIRCUITRY. THE ULTIMATE EFFECT OF WHICH WILL BE TO OPEN UP THE FULL SPACE OF BIOLOGICALLY PRODUCED MATERIALS AND SYSTEMS. TO ACHIEVE THIS, NEW TOOLS, TECHNOLOGIES AND METHODOLOGIES THAT DIRECTLY ADDRESS OUR CURRENT LIMITATIONS AND EXPAND OUR CAPABILITIES MUST BE DEVELOPED. THE OUTCOME SHOULD BE AN OPEN TECHNOLOGY PLATFORM THAT INTEGRATES THESE TOOLS AND CAPABILITIES, ALLOWING NEW DESIGNS TO RAPIDLY MOVE FROM CONCEPTION TO EXECUTION. | J. CRAIG VENTER INSTITUTE, INC. | $964,587 | DEFENSE CONTRACT MANAGEMENT AGENCY (DCMA) | DEFENSE ADVANCED RESEARCH PROJECTS AGENCY (DARPA) | — | 541711 | AD91 | May 17, 2012 | May 17, 2012 | May 17, 2013 | ||
| RECOVERY OF RESOURCES IS CRITICAL FOR REDUCING UP-MASS AND FACILITATING LONG-DURATION AND SELF-SUSTAINING NASA MISSIONS. THE ABILITY TO PROVIDE VITAL LIFE SUPPORT, HIGH-VALUE PRODUCTS, AND TO APPROACH ENERGY SELF-SUFFICIENCY IS KEY TO ADDRESSING THESE NEEDS. HERE WE PROPOSE A FIRST STEP TOWARD REALIZING A DEVICE THAT CAN EFFICIENTLY UTILIZE ELECTRICAL CURRENT, PROTONS, AND CARBON DIOXIDE TO SUSTAIN LIFE SUPPORT PROCESSES AND PRODUCE HIGH-VALUE COMMODITIES, STARTING WITH METHANE. BIOELECTROCHEMICAL SYSTEMS EMPLOY MICROBES AS CATALYSTS TO RECOVER ENERGY BOUND IN CHEMICAL COMPOUNDS AND/OR CAN USE ELECTRICAL CURRENT AS AN ENERGY SOURCE IN THE PRODUCTION OF USEFUL COMMODITIES. THE NATURAL MICROBIAL CULTURES AND COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE BEEN BIOELECTROCHEMICALLY CHARACTERIZED TO-DATE ARE ABLE TO DRIVE BOTH OXIDATION AND REDUCTION REACTIONS AT ENERGY RECOVERY EFFICIENCIES UP TO 50%. HOWEVER, HIGHER EFFIDENCIES MAY BE ATTAINED BY USING ENGINEERED ORGANISMS FOR SPECIFIC BIOELECTROCHEMICAL PROCESSES. WITH THE ADVENT OF THE SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY FIELD, THE USE OF BIOELECTROCHEMICAL SYSTEMS WITH SYNTHETICALLY ENGINEERED MICROBES PRESENTS A NEW OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLOIT BIOELECTROCHEMICAL DARK REACTIONS FOR THE EFFICIENT REDUCTION OF CARBON DIOXIDE INTO USABLE PRODUCTS, WHICH MAY INCLUDE FUELS, FOOD, AND PHARMACEUTICALS. HOWEVER, IT IS CRITICAL TO HAVE A BASIC UNDERSTAND OFTHE GENES REQUIRED FOR THESE REACTIONS OF INTEREST IN ORDER TO REALIZE ALL OF THE BENEFITS THAT SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY CAN PROVIDE. ONCE THIS KNOWLEDGE IS IN-HAND, THE DNA ENCODING THESE GENES CAN BE SYNTHESIZED AND USED TO CONSTRUCT HIGHLY CONTROLLABLE, SPECIFICAIIY FUNCTIONAIIZED, MICROORGANISMS THAT CAN BE EMPLOYED IN BIOELECTROCHEMICAL SYSTEMS TO PRODUCE VITAL COMMODITIES WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY CONSUMING CARBON DIOXIDE. RESULTS FROM THE PROPOSED WORK WILL START DEVELOPING THE CRITICAL KNOWLEDGE BASE THAT WILL ENABLE FUTURE SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY EFFORTS, AND ULTIMATELY, REALIZE FULLY INTEGRATED BIOLOGICAL SYSTEMS THAT CAN SELF-SUSTAIN AND PROVIDE VITAL RESOURCES FOR LONG-DURATION NASA MISSIONS. | J. CRAIG VENTER INSTITUTE, INC. | $110,000 | NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION | NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION | — | — | AR21 | Apr 20, 2012 | May 1, 2012 | Nov 30, 2012 | ||
| RESEARCH IAW SOW, SECTION C | J. CRAIG VENTER INSTITUTE, INC. | $376,054 | DEFENSE CONTRACT MANAGEMENT AGENCY (DCMA) | DEPT OF THE NAVY | — | 541712 | AD21 | Jan 12, 2012 | Jan 10, 2012 | Apr 30, 2013 |