µ2 Lab: Microfluidic Microbiology Lab

If successful, the microflow cytometer could replace the current cell-culturing based methods for in-flight enumeration of viable bacteria in the potable water supply aboard ISS and spaceflight beyond LEO. In addition, the device offers dual-use potential for monitoring changes in immune system response by white blood cell counts. These measurements could both be made with a single, small, low-power device. Spaceflight beyond LEO will require small, low power technology to perform critical tasks. The proposed device offers dual-use potential for microbial monitoring and human health studies. The capabilities of the proposed device, counting viable bacteria in potable water and analyzing white blood cells, are important for public health uses (water quality) and medical diagnostics in the field and remote areas. These uses would be of benefit to the CDC, NIH, and DoD. As the commercial space industry gears up for manned flights to the ISS and beyond, there will be a need for environmental monitoring that the proposed technology addresses. The drivers for making a device space-flight compatible, namely reducing mass, volume and power requirements, ruggedization of devices, and making devices easy to use, are often the same requirements for equipment to be used in the field and in remote locations. The proposed technology will improve access to flow cytometers for public health and medical use in the U.S.