Abstract EANA2025-89

As we move towards a permanent human presence on the Moon and Mars, the need for Sustainable Life Support Systems becomes critical, and integrating biotechnology techniques that rely on utilizing locally available resources is crucial to enhance self-sufficiency and resilience in long-term space missions. Using filamentous fungi that can thrive on locally available nutrients is a promising approach. These have proven their value on Earth, by contributing significantly to resource exploration and a circular bioeconomy. Their potential for space applications has also been demonstrated, with species successfully performing biomining on lunar regolith simulants and meteoritic material, including aboard the ISS, and thrive in space microgravity conditions, making them excellent candidates for space biotechnology applications. In this project, we focus on studying the recycling of two major space mission-relevant waste streams: hygiene wastewaters and plastic waste. Hygiene wastewaters will become a significant component of the water recycling systems on long-term missions, and their reuse is critical to reclaim water and for closed-loop life support systems. Similarly, the recycling and upcycling of plastic waste is critical, both in space and on Earth, offering the dual benefits of reducing waste while at the same time providing feedstock for manufacturing.

Basing on formulations used to test ISS water recycling systems, we developed a synthetic hygiene wastewater (SHW) medium to evaluate whether fungal species can utilize this nutrient-poor waste source to sustain its growth for biotechnological processes. The first results indicate fungal growth in SHW medium, although lower compared to standard rich medium. This positive data poses the basis for the optimisation of wastewater media for biotech applications. We are also evaluating the fungal production of biotech-relevant secondary metabolites in SHW. This includes organic acids with potential applications in biomining and bioremediation in space environments, as well as pharmaceutical compounds such as antibiotics and essential nutrients. A comprehensive metabolomic analysis is being conducted to characterize these metabolic outputs.

Additionally, we performed a fieldtrip in Iceland to investigate the microbiome associated with plastic debris collected from extreme environments - such as trawl nets made from synthetic polymers like polyethylene terephthalate (PET), gillnets made of nylon, and buoys often composed of polyethylene (PE). These materials are commonly used in space applications - for example, nylon in space suits and PE for food packaging. Fungal species with plastic-degrading capabilities isolated from these locations may be well suited to produce biotech-relevant compounds under the harsh conditions of space. Fungal communities associated with collected plastic debris samples are being characterized, and the constituent species are being identified through taxonomic and molecular analyses. In parallel, plastic degradation experiments are being conducted using sterile pieces of plastics (e.g., PET, PE, Nylon) as carbon source, to assess the capability of these fungal isolates to biodegrade plastic and study their potential for being used in space waste recycling systems.