New-generation spacecraft water monitoring with flight ready solid state nanopores

In order to provide a fast, simple and reliable way of monitoring water quality on long-duration manned missions, such as transit to, and surface exploration of, the moon and Mars, we propose to develop a miniature analytical sensing instrument based on solid-state nanopore technology. The nanopore sensor would enable in situ detection and quantification of multiple inorganic and organic analytes by utilizing a low-noise and sensitive silicon nitride material. The sensor reader is designed to be compact (cm-scale) and easy to operate, and is integrated with automatic data processing and interpretation. Sensorrsquo;s specifications will be outlined and developed to satisfy the detailed and stringent NASA mission requirements, in consultation with NASA scientists. The technical objectives include: 1) fabricate low-noise sensors (ultrathin SiN nanopore chips), 2) establish the optimal sensor protocol (cleaning, coating and storage) methods, 3) develop the protocols for detecting target analytes in pure samples, 4) demonstrate and validate measurement capability in the matrix of simulant ISS water samples and confirm the sensor sensitivity and selectivity, 5) develop an integrated data processing system with validated functionalities of fast, reliable and automatic data analysis and visualization with minimum manual intervention, 6) create a database of all the above measurement results including all parameters, and 7) specify flight readiness parameters needed for NASA mission, and discuss with NASA stakeholders on the specific requirements and expectation of deliverables and the remote simultaneous testing in NASA labs and Goeppert lab. This Phase II project will focus on improving the overall analytical capability of the sensor in the context of environmental water samples and optimizing the data analysis efficiency and effectiveness that serves as a reliable miniaturized water monitoring platform and can be rapidly fused in current or future NASA crewed missions.