BioServe Space Technologies

For over 34 years, BioServe has designed, developed and manufactured an extensive suite of space flight certified hardware that successfully supports life and physical science research in space. BioServe’s personnel has over 200 combined years of expertise and knowledge in this arena. We are a full-service organization that can guide the novice or experienced researcher, organization or company through the process of conducting fundamental or applied research, in space manufacturing or technology development on board the International Space Station (ISS) or other space flight vehicles and platforms.  BioServe remains on the forefront of space life and physical sciences through its innovative hardware solutions that successfully support these key areas of research.

Scientific Areas of Support:

• Mammalian cell and tissue culture including adherent and suspended cell cultures, tissue engineering, organoids, bioreactors and organ-on-a-chip
• Molecular Processes
• Microorganisms
• Microbial Systems
• Vaccine Development
• Immunology
• Protein Crystallization
• Muscle and Bone Loss
• Materials Science
• Physical Science – Transport phenomena
• Rodent Research

Services:

• Science Support/technical guidance
• Hardware/facility development – manual, semi-automated and fully automated
• Technology demonstration development and/or support
• Feasibility/trade study assistance
• Science team hardware training
• Ground test facilities
• Mission simulations
• Large suite flight certified hardware
• Engineering support and integration
• Software/firmware development
• Payload operations and control center
• In-house manufacturing, assembly, and testing
• Flight qualification services
• Launch and landing site support
• Physical payload integration and de-integration
• Crew training/operations planning
• Support real-time crew operations

Select ISS-Certified Hardware:

Space Automation and Bioprocessing Laboratory (SABL)

• Temperature range -5°C to +43°C
• Can provide active CO₂ including 5% CO₂ in support of mammalian cell culture
• 23 liters of temperature experiment volume
• 28 VDC and 5VDC power supply available
• Ethernet and USB ports for power and bidirectional communication
• Near real-time access to operational data and commanding

Space Automated Laboratory Incubator (SALI)

• Temperature range -20°C to +48°C
• 24 liters of temperature experiment volume
• Ethernet and USB ports for power and bidirectional communication
• Near real-time access to operational data and commanding

Syringe Pump Organ-on-a-Chip (SPOC)

• Semi-automated syringe pump system to support organ-on-a-chip and other mammalian cell culture experiments
• Sample-specific media supplies and effluent reservoirs
• Fixation and preservation capabilities
• Localized heating control to maintain samples at 37.0 °C with minimal thermal gradients
• Typical flow rates from 750 µL/day up to 1500 µL/day

BioServe Microscopy Platform

• Standard phase contrast inverted microscope (Nikon Eclipse TS100)
• High quality 2x, 4x, 10x, 20x and 40x objectives (Different objectives with a variety of optical properties can be flown on an as needed basis)
• Full high-definition imaging (1920×1080), 60 FPS raw video, and 36-bit color depth. As needed, other camera models may be used to fulfill experiment-specific imaging requirements (higher resolution, FPS, or IR-capability)

More information on BioServe’s full suite of space flight certified hardware can be found here: https://www.colorado.edu/center/bioserve/spaceflight-hardware.

In addition, BioServe designs, develops, manufactures and space flight certifies custom hardware to meet the varied needs of its customers and partners.

BioServe Labs, Shops & Test Facilities:

• Dedicated hardware integration and test lab
• Sterile cell culture room with standard associated equipment
• Wet lab with standard associated equipment
• Automation Test Facility (ATF)
• Dedicated machine shop
• Rodent housing facility
• ESD safe electronics lab
• In-house environmentally controlled testing chambers
• Local vibration, EMI and EMC test facilities