Summary

Description

This SBIR Phase II effort involves the development of a novel rodent spaceflight habitat, focusing on care and monitoring of mice for gravitational physiology studies. The effort is tightly linked with the Mars Gravity Biosatellite (MGB) program, a university-led initiative developing a partial gravity free-flyer research platform. It leverages both the Murine Automated Urine Sampler (MAUS) accomplished by Payload Systems, Inc. and MIT during Phase I, including demonstrating biochemical preservation of key analytes for up to five weeks, and further hardware design and prototyping conducted under separately-funded MGB activities. MAUS extends earlier NASA and other laboratory waste management and preservation techniques in a novel manner, enabling solid-state storage and quantitative analysis of small animal urine. In Phase II, we will further refine both the hardware and biochemical techniques developed for the MAUS under Phase I, and integrate these elements into a fully-functional Animal Support Module (ASM). Along with the MAUS, the ASM will include air circulation, cage lighting, video collection, food provision, water supply and additive injection, instrumented floor, and contingency euthanasia systems. This Phase II project will result in critical hardware for the MGB program and important innovations for other rodent-based flight and ground research.