Engineered Escherichia coli for Anticoagulant Bioproduction in Space

Given the increasing frequency of human spaceflight, we desire therapeutics that can be produced using resources available off Earth. An important category of therapeutics is anticoagulants, since venous thromboembolism is a documented risk associated with spaceflight [1]. The currently preferred option in hospitals, heparin, is sourced from animals, meaning it cannot be made in space. Hence, alternative options are desired. Annexin V is a protein with powerful anticoagulant properties that can be expressed recombinantly in Escherichia coli bacteria [2], making it possible to produce on the Moon or Mars. Here, we aim to regulate the expression of annexin V in E. coli using a genetic promoter; additionally, we intend to model protein expression over time as a function of inducer concentration using a system of differential equations. Ultimately, we plan to test the continuous bioproduction performance of annexin V by engineered cells when subjected to simulated microgravity as applied by high aspect rotating vessels [3] and a random positioning machine [4]. The results of this study will advance our understanding of bioproduction with applications for future space colonists.

¹ S. M. Auñón-Chancellor et al., "Venous Thrombosis during Spaceflight," The New England Journal of Medicine, 2020. ² B. L. Wood et al., "Increased erythrocyte phosphatidylserine exposure in sickle cell disease: flow-cytometric measurement and clinical associations," Blood, 1996. ³ R. P. Schwarz et al., "Cell culture for three-dimensional modeling in rotating-wall vessels: an application of simulated microgravity," Journal of Tissue Culture Methods, 1992. ⁴ V. Mann et al., "Changes in Human Foetal Osteoblasts Exposed to the Random Positioning Machine and Bone Construct Tissue Engineering," International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2019.