Expose – R Exposure of Osmophilic Microbes to Space Environment Expose-R- Osmo)
Research Area: Astrobiology
Expedition(s): 18- 26
Principal Investigator(s): ● Rocco Mancinelli, Carl Sagan Center, Mountain View,
California
RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
The Expose-R facility hosts a suite of astrobiology experiments, some of which could help
understand how life originated on Earth. This suite of experiments are accommodated in 3
special sample trays, which are loaded with a variety of biological samples and exposed to the
harsh environment of open space for
almost 2 years from March 2009-
January 2011. Expose-R-Osmo
focuses on unicellular organisms that
survive in salty environments of high
osmotic pressure, in this case
Synechococcus and Halorubrum
chaoviatoris. The experiment tests to
see whether these salt-rich
environments, as well as the high
intracellular potassium concentration
of the microorganisms, play a role in
protecting their DNA from vacuum
desiccation and UV radiation in space.
RESULTS
Results from Expose-R-Osmo are pending completion of analysis and data evaluation before
conclusive results are prepared and published.
This investigation is complete; however additional results are pending publication.
Sample containers are opened after they are returned to
Earth for analysis. ESA image.