COMPREHENSIVE MEDICAL MICROBIOLOGY TEST STATION FOR MICROGRAVITY

A COMPREHENSIVE SYSTEM FOR THE DIAGNOSIS OF MICROBIAL PATHOGENS WILL BE DEVELOPED FOR USE IN MICROGRAVITY. THIS SYSTEM WILL ALLOW FOR THE ISOLATION AND IDENTIFICATION OF BACTERIAL, VIRAL AND FUNGAL PATHOGENS AND, WHERE APPROPRIATE, ALLOW FOR DETERMINATION OF ANTIBIOTIC SUSCEPTIBILITY. A UNIQUE DESSICATED FILM FORMAT FOR THE ISOLATION, GROWTH, AND IDENTIFICATION OF BACTERIA AND FUNGI WILL BE DEVELOPED. THIS FORMAT WILL PROVIDE LIGHT-WEIGHT, COMPACT, STABLE GROWTH AND TEST SUBSTRATA CAPABLE OF ISOLATING AND IDENTIFYING ALL COMMON PATHOGENS AND MANY UNCOMMON AND UNUSUAL ONES. IF NEEDED, THE NATURE OF THE FILM USED MAKES IT AMENABLE TO ELECTRONIC ANALYSIS BYLASER REFLECTANCE OR OTHER OPTICAL MEANS AS WELL AS THE PLANNED MANUAL USE. THE USE OF LIQUIDS IS MINIMIZED, THUS REDUCING THE LIKELIHOOD OF INFECTIOUS AEROSOL FORMATION. THIS SAME FORMAT WILL BE USED FOR THE DIAGNOSIS OF PATHOGENSWHERE AN ANTIGEN DETECTION ASSAY WOULD BE MOST APPROPRIATE. A KEY BENEFIT OF THE SYSTEM IS ITS FLEXIBILITY IN ALLOWING FOR THE DIAGNOSIS OF UNUSUAL PATHOGENS WHICH MAY BE FOUND IN THE SPECIFIC ENVIRONMENT OF OUTER SPACE. THE USE OF CONVENTIONAL IDENTIFICATION METHODOLOGIES SUGGEST THAT THE SYSTEM WILL BE HIGHLY ACCURATE.