Project

PRODEX-13 Project: NANOMOTION - Nanomotion-based life detection and antifungal susceptibility testing in microgravity conditions - 2024

Code
12ESA7823
Duration
01 January 2024 → 31 December 2024
Funding
Federal funding: various
Research disciplines
  • Natural sciences
    • Astrobiology
    • Proteins
    • Mycology
Keywords
proteomics antifungals
 
Project description

In this project, we propose to explore living organisms nanomotion pattern in microgravity with the perspectives to develop dedicated devices to detect life in the Solar system and to proceed to ultra-rapid antifungal susceptibility tests. This new technique is based on measuring the nanometric scale oscillations (nanomotion detection) that characterize living organisms. The other potential application of this technique is the rapid antifungal sensitivity test. As model organism, we will use the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Additionally, we will evaluate the effect of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) microgravity and ISS radiation on yeast cellular processes such as the response to antifungals, cell growth and the cells cycle (including the selection of the budding site), cell dead, and DNA stress and repair by observing the the expression and (re)localization of 37 GFP-tagged reporter proteins using the FLUMIAS microscope and mass spectrometry.