Microfabricated Onsite Analyzer for Biomarkers (MOAB) for Automated Crew Health Monitoring

Crewed missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond necessitate advanced health monitoring techniques due to risks such as musculoskeletal degradation, cancer, and kidney issues from prolonged exposure to radiation and microgravity. This paper presents the Microfabricated Onsite Analyzer for Biomarkers (MOAB), a state-of-the-art device designed for extraterrestrial missions capable of precise biomarker detection. First, the fluid manipulation capabilities of an integrated programmable microfluidic array (PMA) chip are characterized, resulting in high pumping resolution and repeatability, regardless of the microfluidic resistance of the path chosen through the PMA. The MOAB then demonstrates the detection of calcium, creatinine, and hydrogen peroxide after identifying reaction kinetics, incubation times, and the crosstalk of background metabolites for each of the three assays. We confirmed that the MOAB can automatically generate standard curves of each metabolite with high linearity and agreement with manually generated curves. Following successful single-plex tests, the MOAB showcased its ability to perform multiplexed assays by performing duplex and triplex assays in parallel in a single automated sequence. With success in the laboratory, the fluidic manipulation and metabolite detection performance of the MOAB were tested during various gravity conditions. We confirmed that the MOAB can perform multiplexed metabolite assays under various gravitational conditions on a ZeroG flight. This pioneering MOAB platform signifies a crucial proof of principle toward comprehensive astronaut health monitoring, calling for further optimization and sequence development for a broader range of assays for full mission implementation.