Space Biosciences Intern

In the spring of 2020, I was given the opportunity to intern for the Space Biosciences division at NASA Ames Research Center. While there, I spent my time jumping between the engineering and science teams which allowed me to create a complete picture of the Cell Science project and its goals in addition to developing an understanding of how interwoven and collaborative a mission can be and the importance of communication across the board. As I shadowed various engineers and scientists, I worked on spaceflight hardware, performed functional and environmental testing, and wrote procedures for machine maintenance while also experiencing regulations of government work such as quality assurance checks and extensive documentation. Although I worked on multiple experiments, the focus for my internship was the Bioculture System and the Cell Science missions in progress at the time. 

The Bioculture System (BCS) was developed to run experiments on the International Space Station (ISS) to study the effects of microgravity and radiation on cell growth. It allows for real-time remote surveillance and control over the cultures and their environmental conditions as task files are run and data is collected and stored. There is a single gas supply and ten independently regulated Cassettes that each contain a flowpath system, thermal control system, and bioreactor. 

My objective for the internship was to address the recurring, premature failure of the piezoelectric pumps within the flowpath systems which was theorized to be a result of protein aggregation due to high frequency agitation of media. I was to characterize, compare, and select a pump to be utilized in upcoming experiments, and if necessary, develop alternative solutions to the premature pump failure. The specifications undergoing scrutiny were flow rate, pressure pulse, lifespan, weight, power draw, and price. A standard test using deionized water, the layout for which can be seen below, was devised to characterize flow rate and pressure pulses of the three primary types of pumps under consideration: piezoelectric, diaphragm, and gear.