Compact automated laboratory unit has 60 independently treatable culture chamber assemblies for metabolic studies of cultured microorganisms on the surface of Mars or other planets

Martin, W. H.

English

NASA Technical Reports Server

.Heaters	 Web Weld 
Joint 
October 1969	 Brief 69-10475 
NASA Tech Briefs are issued to summarize specific innovations derived from the U.S. space program, 
to encourage their commercial application. Copies are available to the public at 15 cents each 
from the Clearinghouse for Federal Scientific and Technical Information, Springfield, Virginia 22151. 
Life Detection 
Spring Loaded
Delivery Mechanism 
Typical Culture Chamber Cylinder 
The problem:	
on criteria of breadth of response to different orga-
Design apparatus for the detection of microbial life 	
nisms, high detection sensitivity, fast response time, 
on the surface of Mars and other planets. 	 and wide dynamic range. These life detectors consist 
The solution:	 of two of the Gulliver type which include four in situ 
A compact automated laboratory unit was designed 	 probes, and one of the Wolf Trap type which sensed 
with 60 independently treatable culture chamber 	 turbidity and pH changes. The basic detection scheme 
assemblies for metabolic studies of cultured micro- 	 is modeled after that of G. V. Levin and N. H. Horo-
organisms. Three simple culture type specific life 	 witz, i.e., LiOH-l-120 collection of evolved C1402 
detectors were selected for the baseline design based 	 and/or H2S 35 and subsequent quantization by adja-
(continued overleaf) 
This document was prepared under the sponsorship of the National 	 Government assumes any liability resulting from the use of the 
Aeronautics and Space Administration. Neither the United States 	 information contained in this document, or warrants that such use 
Government nor any person acting on behalf of the United States	 will be free from privately owned rights.
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=19690000462 2020-03-16T18:03:39+00:00Z
cent Geiger-Muller counters. Elements are incorpo-
rated which allow graduated heating of selected cul-
tures to the point of combustion with added oxygen. 
How it's done: 
The culture chamber assemblies are circularly ar-
ranged in two like decks, one above the other. A 
rotating assembly carrying service elements for the 
chamber cylinder decks operates on a center with the 
stationary canisters and just above it. Service ele-
ments carried by the rotating assembly include six /3 
detectors, the soil sample distribution equipment, and 
the initiator mechanism for sample, nutrient, and 
reagent dispensing. 
A sectional view of a typical culture chamber 
cylinder and its supporting elements is shown in the 
drawing. An aliquot of soil sample is delivered from 
the rotating assembly to a spring loaded delivery tube, 
which is open at its top and located in the chamber 
cylinder wall. Nutrient media and antimetabolite in 
glass ampules are also contained in the chamber 
cylinder. Delivery is by means of a spring loaded 
plunger, which like the sample delivery plunger, is 
tripped at the proper time by wiping its attached spoke 
into a milled slot in the chamber cylinder. A mecha-
nism located in the rotating assembly provides the 
mechanical motivation for these functions. 
One Gulliver detector probes for life by attempting 
to elicit metabolism of prepared substrates. Several 
variations of nutrient media containing labeled organic 
substrates of C14 and/or S35 in aqueous solution are 
offered one at a time to equal portions of processed 
soil sample. Viable cells assimilating one or more of 
the labeled substrates are likely to evolve radioactive 
gases, C 14 02 and/or H2S 35 which are collected on 
LiOH monolayers above each culture chamber. Dis-
integrations from the collected gas(es) leading to 0 
emission are sensed by Geiger tubes. The disintegra-
tion rate is a measure of the net amount of gas collected 
and, thus, a measure of the net amount of substrate 
metabolized or degraded. Data obtained permit a 
decision of either no detectable metabolic involvement 
of carbon and sulfur or detectable involvement with 
or without growth (reproduction). 
Another Gulliver detector employs labeled sub-
strates of molecular C 14 02 and/or H2 S 35 with the 
nutrient media then being that of the organism's own 
natural environment. Sample treatment includes
separation of light from dark induced fixation of the 
lajeled gas(es). Strict phototrophs, for example, would 
be expected to fix C 14 02 in the light and then when 
placed in the dark consume the energy compounds 
recently photosynthesized, thereby expiring C1402 
for collection. Light/dark modulation of the chambers 
of the first Gulliver detector is provided with graduated 
heating to combustion with oxygen in four chambers of 
the second Gulliver detector, which allows differentia-
tion of biological from nonbiological gas fixing pro-
cesses. 
The Wolf Trap detector probes for life by sensing 
light scatter produced by a suspension of micro-
organism-sized particles and a change in pH of aque-
ous bacterial culture media. Each culture cell in this 
detector functions both as a thermally controlled 
incubation chamber and nephelometer cuvette. The 
conical interior of the culture cell is polished for good 
reflectivity. 
Notes: 
I. The compact laboratory unit designed is automated 
and programmable and may be useful as a monitor-
ing system for chemical and microbiological studies 
in clinical pathology, drug, fermentation, and 
medical laboratories. For example, short term drug 
resistance (sensitivity) of cultured pathogens might 
be tested. 
2. A valuable annotated bibliography is furnished in 
NASA SP-7015, "Extraterrestrial Life: A Bibliog-
raphy Part I: Report Literature, September, 1964, 
Part II: Published Literature, December, 1965," 
for sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. 
Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 
20402; Price Part I: $0.45, Part II: $2.00. 
3. Documentation is available from: 
Clearinghouse for Federal Scientific 
and Technical Information 
Springfield, Virginia 22151 
Price $3.00 
Reference: TSP69-10475 
Patent status: 
No patent action is contemplated by NASA. 
Source: W. H. Martin of 
McDonnell Douglas Corporation 
under contract to 
NASA Pasadena Office 
(NPO-10510)
0 
Li 
Brief 69-10475	 Category 04


Life detection

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