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UID:69f1263da4fc6
DTSTART:20250908T100000Z
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DTEND:20250908T110000Z
LOCATION:ICFO Auditorium
SUMMARY:ICFO | FRANCESC GÒDIA
CLASS:PUBLIC
DESCRIPTION:ABSTRACT:\nMELiSSA (Micro Ecological Life Support System Altern
 ative) is developing regenerative Life Support technologies for long-term 
 human Space exploration missions. In the scenario of missions targeting lo
 nger distances and presence in Space (Moon\, Mars) there is the need to de
 crease the dependency from Earth resupply. The MELiSSA loop is conceived a
 s a circular system with several compartments\, each one performing a spec
 ific function\, providing all together the basic functions in life support
 : food production\, atmosphere regeneration\, water recovery. The sustaina
 bility of the system should be attained using wastes (CO2\, urine\, organi
 c waste) generated by the crew as resources. The MELiSSA Pilot Plant is a 
 facility designed for the terrestrial demonstration of this concept\, host
 ing laboratory rats as a crew mimicking the respiration of humans. The MEL
 iSSA Pilot Plant includes the continuous operation of several bioreactors\
 , working in axenic conditions\, connected one to each other\, for long te
 rm operation campaigns\, under the supervision of an overall control syste
 m. &nbsp\;The work program at the Pilot Plant is currently focused on the 
 integration of its compartments in long-term continuous and controlled ope
 ration\, in consecutive steps\, involving liquid\, solid and gas phases\, 
 targeting to the completion of the proposed loop. The integration of four 
 compartments: a packed-bed bioreactor performing urine hydrolysis and nitr
 ification using a defined consortium of six bacterial strains\, an air-lif
 t photobioreactor for the culture of the edible cyanobacteria Limnospira i
 ndica with concomitant capture of CO2 and oxygen production\, a higher pla
 nts chamber and an animal isolator with rats as mock-up crew\, has been pe
 rformed\, exploring the effect of several variables in the operation of th
 e four compartments\, including the complex gas management dynamics betwee
 n them and its control in continuous operation. The system showed high rob
 ustness and reliability over long operation periods and the coordinated pe
 rformance of oxygen producing and oxygen consuming compartments has been a
 chieved under transitory and steady-state conditions.\n&nbsp\;\nBIO:\nFull
  Professor of Chemical Engineering at Universitat Aut&ograve\;noma de Barc
 elona (UAB) since 1993. Teaching activities in Biotechnology and Chemical 
 Engineering. Coordinator of the Biotechnology Doctoral Program at UAB. &nb
 sp\;His research activity is focussed on Regenerative Life Support Systems
  in Space for human long-term missions and Animal Cell Technology to produ
 ce biopharmaceuticals\, recombinant vaccines and vectors for gene therapy.
  Overall Manager of the MELiSSA Pilot Plant a joint facility of UAB and ES
 A (European Space Agency)\, for the demonstration and integration of Life 
 Support technologies. Author of 135 papers in JCR journals\, 4 patents\, 9
  book chapters and advisor of 43 completed PhD thesis. Member of the Scien
 tific and Organizing Committee of several International Congresses. Coordi
 nator of the ESACT International Courses on Animal Cell Technology and Cel
 l-based Viral Vaccines. He served as Vice Rector of UAB\, President of the
  Spanish Society of Biotechnology\, President of the Blood and Tissue Bank
  of Barcelona and President of Fundaci&oacute\; Parc Taul&iacute\;. Curren
 tly\, he is the President of the European Federation of Biotechnology and 
 member of the Executive Board of the European Society for the Advancement 
 of Cell Technology.&nbsp\;&nbsp\;&nbsp\;&nbsp\;&nbsp\;&nbsp\;&nbsp\;&nbsp\
 ;&nbsp\;&nbsp\;&nbsp\;&nbsp\;&nbsp\;&nbsp\;&nbsp\;&nbsp\;&nbsp\;&nbsp\;&nb
 sp\;&nbsp\;&nbsp\;&nbsp\;&nbsp\;&nbsp\;&nbsp\;&nbsp\;&nbsp\;&nbsp\;&nbsp\;
 &nbsp\;&nbsp\;&nbsp\;&nbsp\;&nbsp\;&nbsp\;&nbsp\;&nbsp\;&nbsp\;&nbsp\;&nbs
 p\;&nbsp\;&nbsp\;&nbsp\;&nbsp\;&nbsp\;&nbsp\;&nbsp\;&nbsp\;&nbsp\;\n&nbsp\
 ;
DTSTAMP:20260428T212725Z
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