CULTIVATING ESCHERIA COLI PRODUCER OF CAF1 PROTEIN IN WEIGHTLESSNESS
(ASTROVAKTSINA)
Research Area: Microbiology
Expedition(s): 16 and 19 - 24
Principle Investigator(s): ● Grigoriy Y. Shcherbakov, MD, PhD, Biopreparat, Moscow,
Russia
● Anatoliy M. Vasilyev, PhD, Institute of Engineering
Immunology, Moscow, Russia
RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
The Cultivating Escheria coli Producer of CAF1 Protein in Weightlessness (Astrovaktsina) studies
the effect of spaceflight factors on the processes of biosynthesis, secretion, capsule formation,
and the biological properties of the E. coli producer of the genetically engineered CAF1 antigen
protein of Yersinia pestis during its exposure to microgravity.
EARTH BENEFITS
The results of the experiment may be used on Earth to obtain highly pure preparation of V
antigen blended with polyhistidine peptide as the main component of a new-generation
molecular vaccine against yersiniosis, as well as for the targeted creation of new medicines,
including medicine for treating Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome and a number of tumor
diseases.
SPACE BENEFITS
Incubation in spaceflight conditions followed by
selection on Earth may be used as a method for
obtaining lines of productive strains with an
elevated number of copies of plasmids controlling
the synthesis of targeted products. This data is
important for developing the biotechnology of
molecular vaccines against yersiniosis and other
infectious diseases in humans and animals, and
also for developing a program of life-support
systems for cosmonauts during long-term
spaceflights.
RESULTS
Displaying of working cultures on agar slants to
microgravity conditions, and the effect of other orbital flight factors, led recombinant
Escherichia coli HB101/pVHB62 to synthesize an increased amount of the target product at a
level 30% ± 10% greater than that of control samples located on Earth (for example, 12.3 mg/ml
and 9.8 mg/ml). Lyophilically dried culture samples did not differ in the level of V gene synthesis
in the experimental or control cultures.
Location of the Bioekologiya kit for the
Astrovaktsina experiment in the ISS Russian
Segment Service Module. Roscosmos image.