AN ON-LINE MICROBIOLOGICAL ANALYZER

MICROBIOLOGICAL MONITORING WILL BE A CRITICAL FUNCTION IN THE BIOMASS-PROCESSING REACTORS OF THE NASA CONTROLLED ECOLOGICAL LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEM (CELSS). MEASUREMENT OF CELLDENSITY AND CELL ACTIVITY IN SOME REACTORS WILL ALLOW FOR THE AUTOMATION AND OPTIMIZATION OF BIOCHEMICAL PROCESSES WITHOUT THE NEED FOR EXPERIENCED SKILLED PERSONNEL. IN OTHER REACTORS, MICROBIOLOGICAL DETECTION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF BACTERIAL CONTAMINANTS WILL BE REQUIRED. ALL LIVING CELLS, INCLUDING MICRO-ORGANISMS, CONTAIN NICOTINAMIDE ADENINE DINUCLEOTIDES (NAD) THAT SERVE AS COFACTORS IN MANY METABOLIC REACTIONS. THE REDUCED FORMS(NAD(P)H) ARE HIGH-ENERGY MOLECULES THAT FLUORESCE AT 460 NM WHEN IRRADIATED WITH LIGHT AT 340 NM. THIS FLUORESCENCE PROPERTY OF NADPH MAY BE USED TO MEASURE MICROORGANISM CELL CONCENTRATION AND ACTIVITY USING A FIBER-OPTIC FLUORESCENCE ANALYZER, SUCH AS THE BIOTRONICS BI-401. THE BI-401 IS AN ON-LINE, FIBER-LINKED, MULTIPLE-WAVELENGTH FLUOROMETRIC ANALYZER THAT PROVIDES AN IDEAL EXPERIMENTAL VEHICLE FOR RESEARCH IN BIOCHEMICAL-PROCESS ANALYSIS AND CONTROL. THE MULTIPLE-WAVELENGTH NATURE OF THE BI-401 WILL ALLOW FOR INVESTIGATION OF NADPH AND OTHER NATURAL FLUOROPHORES SUCH AS TRYPTOPHAN, TYROSINE, AND ATP. CELL MASS AND ACTIVITY LEVELS, ALONG WITH CELL METABOLIC STATE, WILL BE THE PRIMARYAREAS OF INVESTIGATION. MICROBIOLOGICAL MONITORING WILL BE A CRITICAL FUNCTION IN THE BIOMASS-PROCESSING REACTORS OF THE NASA CONTROLLED ECOLOGICAL LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEM (CELSS). MEASUREMENT OF CELLDENSITY AND CELL ACTIVITY IN SOME REACTORS WILL ALLOW FOR THE AUTOMATION AND OPTIMIZATION OF BIOCHEMICAL PROCESSES WITHOUT THE NEED FOR EXPERIENCED SKILLED PERSONNEL. IN OTHER REACTORS, MICROBIOLOGICAL DETECTION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF BACTERIAL CONTAMINANTS WILL BE REQUIRED. ALL LIVING CELLS, INCLUDING MICRO-ORGANISMS, CONTAIN NICOTINAMIDE ADENINE DINUCLEOTIDES (NAD) THAT SERVE AS COFACTORS IN MANY METABOLIC REACTIONS. THE REDUCED FORMS(NAD(P)H) ARE HIGH-ENERGY MOLECULES THAT FLUORESCE AT 460 NM WHEN IRRADIATED WITH LIGHT AT 340 NM. THIS FLUORESCENCE PROPERTY OF NADPH MAY BE USED TO MEASURE MICROORGANISM CELL CONCENTRATION AND ACTIVITY USING A FIBER-OPTIC FLUORESCENCE ANALYZER, SUCH AS THE BIOTRONICS BI-401. THE BI-401 IS AN ON-LINE, FIBER-LINKED, MULTIPLE-WAVELENGTH FLUOROMETRIC ANALYZER THAT PROVIDES AN IDEAL EXPERIMENTAL VEHICLE FOR RESEARCH IN BIOCHEMICAL-PROCESS ANALYSIS AND CONTROL. THE MULTIPLE-WAVELENGTH NATURE OF THE BI-401 WILL ALLOW FOR INVESTIGATION OF NADPH AND OTHER NATURAL FLUOROPHORES SUCH AS TRYPTOPHAN, TYROSINE, AND ATP. CELL MASS AND ACTIVITY LEVELS, ALONG WITH CELL METABOLIC STATE, WILL BE THE PRIMARYAREAS OF INVESTIGATION.