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CAMDLES: CFD-DEM Simulation of Microbial Communities in Spaceflight and Artificial Microgravity
Rocky An1,2, Jessica Audrey Lee3
1Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA.
Life (Basel, Switzerland)
|May 28, 2022
Summary
We developed CAMDLES (CFD-DEM Artificial Microgravity Developments for Living Ecosystem Simulation) to model microbial growth in simulated microgravity. Our findings show that dense microbial aggregates experience the most significant differences in growth between microgravity and 1g conditions.
Area of Science:
- Computational biology
- Bioreactor engineering
- Microbial ecology
Background:
- Microgravity significantly impacts microbial physiology and behavior.
- Ground-based simulations are crucial for understanding spaceflight effects on microbes.
- Existing models lack integrated biological and mechanical process simulation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate CAMDLES (CFD-DEM Artificial Microgravity Developments for Living Ecosystem Simulation), a computational model for biological flows, growth, and mass transfer in artificial microgravity.
- To investigate microbial community dynamics and growth rates under simulated microgravity conditions.
- To compare simulated microgravity, spaceflight microgravity, and 1g conditions.
Main Methods:
- Utilized CFD-DEM (Computational Fluid Dynamics-Discrete Element Method) coupling with agent-based modeling.
- Simultaneously modeled biological, chemical, and mechanical processes in a rotating reference frame.
- Correlated mass transfer calculations with Monod dynamic parameters to predict growth rates.
Main Results:
- The greatest differences in microbial growth were observed when species colocalized in dense aggregates.
- CAMDLES successfully simulated inter-species metabolite transport and growth dynamics.
- Spatial distribution, product yields, and diffusivity influenced microbial growth.
Conclusions:
- CAMDLES provides a framework for designing biological experiments in artificial microgravity.
- The model enables hypothesis generation for microbial behavior in spaceflight.
- Understanding microbial responses in rotating wall vessel bioreactors is essential for space biology research.
