Preliminary Development of a Fluidic Device for Astrobiology Missions

This paper presents the first steps in creating an observable remote CubeSat spacelab for biological processes, by introducing a possible fluidic circuit and simulating the pressure and flow conditions inside such a device. One of the objectives of the final experiment would be the realization of a system that allows to feeding staminal and embryonal cells of the human brain with vitamin D. As far as it is known, this nutrient facilitates the differentiation process of the embryonal cells of the hippocampus towards the formation of neurons and fully grown astrocytes. The aim of the fluidic device proposed in this paper is to feed cells and yeasts taking into consideration some cell culture fluids typically used in laboratory experiments for cell and yeast growth, their rheological aspects such as kinematic viscosity, the possible influence of temperature, pressure and microgravity, and the influence that space conditions have on the device and cells. For this purpose, fluidic simulations have been carried out and results will be useful to get a deeper understanding of possible behaviors of the fluidic circuit and to begin studying and constructing a remote automation process for the cells’ feeding with vitamin D or other feeding fluids with a further removal of waste products of the involved biological processes.