Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 24, 2026

Experimental Methods for Efficient Solar Hydrogen Production in Microgravity Environment
Published on: December 3, 2019
Microgravity-induced constraints on melanin bioproduction: investigating E. coli metabolic responses aboard the
Tiffany M Hennessa1, Eric S VanArsdale1, Dagmar Leary1
1Center for Bio/Molecular Science and Engineering, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC, USA.
Abstract:
Space biomanufacturing using engineered microbes offers a sustainable approach for producing biomaterials, pharmaceuticals, and essential metabolites, critical for long-duration space missions. However, microgravity-induced physiological changes can alter microbial metabolism and biosynthetic efficiency. This study investigated the effects of microgravity on melanin biosynthesis in non-motile Escherichia coli aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Despite expressing functional tyrosinase, ISS-grown E. coli exhibited significantly lower melanin production than ground controls. Differential pulse voltammetry revealed high extracellular tyrosine in ISS samples, indicating inefficient substrate catalysis. Low Shear Modeled Microgravity (LSMMG) experiments in the Rotating Wall Vessel bioreactor confirmed reduced melanin production and bacterial viability. Proteomic profiling identified increased expression of membrane, transport, and stress-related proteins, while metabolomic analysis showed elevated trehalose and decreased glutathione, indicating oxidative stress and perturbed redox homeostasis. These findings highlight the impact of microgravity on microbial metabolism and provide insights for optimizing microbial biomanufacturing in extraterrestrial environments.
Related Concept Videos
Stringent Response in E. coli
Internal Receptors
Constraints and Statical Determinacy
Internal Energy
What is Metabolism?
State Space Representation
Consider an RLC circuit, a...

