Single drop cytometry onboard the International Space Station

Daniel J. Rea, Rachael S. Miller, Brian E. Crucian, Russell W. Valentine, Samantha Cristoforetti, Samuel B. Bearg, Zlatko Sipic, Jamie Cheng, Rebecca Yu, Kimesha M. Calaway, Dexter Eames, Emily S. Nelson, Beth E. Lewandowski, Gail P. Perusek and Eugene Y. Chan ()
Additional contact information
Daniel J. Rea: DNA Medicine Institute (DMI)
Rachael S. Miller: KBR
Brian E. Crucian: NASA Johnson Space Center
Russell W. Valentine: ZIN Technologies
Samantha Cristoforetti: European Space Agency
Samuel B. Bearg: DNA Medicine Institute (DMI)
Zlatko Sipic: DNA Medicine Institute (DMI)
Jamie Cheng: DNA Medicine Institute (DMI)
Rebecca Yu: DNA Medicine Institute (DMI)
Kimesha M. Calaway: ZIN Technologies
Dexter Eames: Graylark
Emily S. Nelson: NASA Glenn Research Center
Beth E. Lewandowski: NASA Glenn Research Center
Gail P. Perusek: NASA Glenn Research Center
Eugene Y. Chan: DNA Medicine Institute (DMI)

Nature Communications, 2024, vol. 15, issue 1, 1-15

Abstract: Abstract Real-time lab analysis is needed to support clinical decision making and research on human missions to the Moon and Mars. Powerful laboratory instruments, such as flow cytometers, are generally too cumbersome for spaceflight. Here, we show that scant test samples can be measured in microgravity, by a trained astronaut, using a miniature cytometry-based analyzer, the rHEALTH ONE, modified specifically for spaceflight. The base device addresses critical spaceflight requirements including minimal resource utilization and alignment-free optics for surviving rocket launch. To fully enable reduced gravity operation onboard the space station, we incorporated bubble-free fluidics, electromagnetic shielding, and gravity-independent sample introduction. We show microvolume flow cytometry from 10 μL sample drops, with data from five simultaneous channels using 10 μs bin intervals during each sample run, yielding an average of 72 million raw data points in approximately 2 min. We demonstrate the device measures each test sample repeatably, including correct identification of a sample that degraded in transit to the International Space Station. This approach can be utilized to further our understanding of spaceflight biology and provide immediate, actionable diagnostic information for management of astronaut health without the need for Earth-dependent analysis.

Date: 2024
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46483-6

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