Human Practices

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Welcome to the Future

PRoSPER focuses on developing a modular biofilm-based bioreactor that uses engineered E. coli and Synechococcus to remove perchlorates and salts from Martian soil. By separating bacterial growth from treatment phases, we designed a flow-through system adaptable to extraterrestrial constraints.

Mars presents extreme challenges: radiation, low temperatures, limited water availability, and a toxic regolith rich in perchlorates. These conditions make conventional remediation technologies inefficient or unsustainable. Our purpose is to solve a central roadblock in space exploration: how to transform hostile local resources into usable inputs for life support. Rather than hauling soil inputs from Earth or relying on rather fragile infrastructure, we aim to show that living systems can achieve in-situ resource utilization more sustainably. Synthetic biology offers a more adaptive alternative, allowing us to engineer microbes with specific functions—E. coli for reducing perchlorates and Synechococcus for desalination and biofilm support. We create organisms with a defined role, building systems that are low-energy, regenerable, and robust. This choice reflects our value of sustainability: designing systems that can adapt and renew themselves, rather than depending on consumables that wear out.

Synthetic biology transforms the environment at its root, rather than working around it. We recognize this can raise ethical questions of planetary stewardship. While PRoSPER does not claim to fully resolve such ethical dilemmas, we deliberately take them into consideration throughout our interviews with experts, ensuring that ethics remain a core part of our design. Coming down to the technicality, while hydroponics bypasses soil entirely, it depends on large volumes of clean water, precise nutrient control, and energy-intensive infrastructure, making it better suited for short-term cultivation. Traditional filtration systems like reverse osmosis face similar limitations: they require specialized membranes, high energy input, and frequent maintenance, all of which are difficult to sustain on Mars.

In contrast, synthetic biology enables a living, scalable solution. Our engineered microbes detoxify perchlorates and reduce salinity in a single co-culture under a controlled environment. Microbes are lightweight. This approach represents a shift toward long-term sustainability, demonstrating that we can begin to rehabilitate hostile environments rather than merely survive them. It’s not just about filtering contaminants; it’s about building ecological foundations that support life.


Integrated Human Practices (IHP) helped us ask: why this system, and why now? It pushed us to question the purpose and real-world relevance of what we're building.


Early on, we spoke with experts across the fields of synthetic biology, environmental science, and space policy to understand the broader stakes (practical, ethical, regulatory) of using engineered microbes in extraterrestrial environments. These conversations pushed us to consider the tradeoffs of mechanical and biological approaches, highlighting the longer-term value of synthetic biology. They also prompted us to consider risk mitigation, safety, and dual-use concerns as part of our design process. For instance, after speaking with Dr. Helbling, we shifted from an open flow-through concept to a closed, modular bioreactor with separate growth and treatment phases. This adjustment directly addressed his concerns about biomass buildup and flow blockages, and it became a defining feature of PRoSPER’s technical design.

Just as IHP guided our technical design and decisioning, it also shaped how we engaged the world around us. We organized efforts to make synthetic biology and space farming more approachable and understandable across generations. Through a children's book, high school teaching sessions, and senior center discussions, we invited a range of audiences into our conversation. Younger students brought curiosity and questions we hadn’t considered, while older adults offered reflections rooted in lived experience with agriculture, environmental change, and technology. These exchanges highlighted how different perspectives can enrich scientific development—and reminded us that innovation is most meaningful when it invites public reflection, not just expert validation.

From the very start, PRoSPER was shaped by the values of environmental stewardship and sustainability. While hydroponics and reverse osmosis offered familiar alternatives, we chose synthetic biology because it is regenerative, multifunctional, and adaptable. Interviews with experts like Dr. Mason pushed us to reframe PRoSPER from a narrow agricultural tool into a modular platform for detoxification, desalination, and resource cycling—showing how our goals evolved with reflection and feedback.

We also recognized that synthetic biology carries risks. Following Dr. Hertzfeld's advice on planetary protection, we incorporated multi-barrier containment and effluent sterilization into our design, aligning with COSPAR guidelines to prevent microbial escape. Toxicologists such as Dr. Flaws reinforced this by urging us to confirm that perchlorate breakdown products were not more harmful than the original compound, ensuring PRoSPER’s safety for both space and Earth.

Our design choices were also responsive. After Dr. Helbling highlighted the risks of biomass buildup, we redesigned PRoSPER into a closed, modular reactor with separate growth and treatment phases, which became a defining feature of the system. Similarly, outreach with children, students, and seniors challenged us to adapt our framing, reminding us that technical solutions must also be inclusive and accessible to diverse communities.

These conversations challenged us to approach synthetic biology with inclusivity, safety, and long-term responsibility in mind. Ultimately, IHP encouraged us to view PRoSPER not just as a scientific solution, but also as something that should be built with intention.

Why Use Synthetic Biology?

We chose synthetic biology for Martian regolith remediation because Mars presents extreme challenges to growing desired plants and vegetables, including high radiation, low temperatures, scarce water, and dust storms. On a larger scale, the environment on Mars could pose hazards as there may be dust storms and an increase of radiation since the Martian atmosphere is very thin and it lacks a global magnetic field. This occasionally causes surface radiation levels on Mars to be 40 to 50 times higher than on Earth (Williams, 2016)[1]. Conventional remediation methods, such as external mechanical or chemical apparatus are impractical in this context because they demand constant maintenance as they could get destroyed by frequent dust storms varying in size and intensity (Lorenz, 2022)[2]. Transporting materials from Earth in order to replace these components is incredibly expensive, while in situ manufacturing will be limited in capability, especially in early missions.

Synthetic biology offers a powerful alternative. By engineering microbes, we can design targeted, self-propagating systems that minimizes the need for frequent human interceptions. Unlike traditional filtration methods such as reverse osmosis– which require high-pressure, high-energy systems and regular membrane replacement– synthetic biology allows this process to operate with minimal resources (Karki, 2021)[3].

Our engineered co-culture kills two birds with one stone by detoxifying perchlorates and reducing salinity simultaneously. The microbial-based system allows us to progress from short-term survival to long-term sustainability, demonstrating progress towards the idea that we can begin rehabilitating hostile environments rather than merely enduring them.

Perchlorates

Perchlorates occur naturally at trace levels in Earth's arid regions, and ppb in drinking water and food. However, perchlorate concentrations on Mars are between 0.4% and 1% by weight, or 4000 to 10,000 mg/kg in regolith samples collected by missions like Phoenix and Curiosity– up to two million times higher than Earth’s most perchlorate contaminated soils (Archer et al., 2019; Hecht et al., 2019)[1][2]. Perchlorates’ high solubility, oxidative potential, and environmental persistence also make them mobile contaminants that accumulate in groundwater, soil, and food crops (EPA, 2017)[3]. Perchlorates are generally non-toxic at trace levels on Earth due to natural microbial degradation and dietary iodide sufficiency, but their extreme abundance on Mars poses major risks to humans, plants, and microbial systems. These compounds interfere with thyroid function, disrupt nitrogen metabolism in plants, and challenge organic preservation, which makes perchlorate remediation a non-negotiable step for sustainable Martian agriculture.

PRoSPER addresses this using a modular bioreactor with engineered E. coli and Synechococcus. The E. coli is transformed with a plasmid containing the perchlorate reduction gene island which encodes a protein that converts perchlorates into chloride ions and oxygen. These microbes are immobilized on biofilm within the system that separates growth and treatment chambers.

In humans, perchlorates inhibit the sodium-iodide symporter (NIS), which prevents the thyroid from absorbing iodide, disrupting T3/T4 synthesis (Steinmaus, 2016)[4]. This can lead to hypothyroidism, developmental delays, and neurocognitive impairment in children. Dr. Elizabeth Pearce emphasized that prolonged exposure to perchlorates could subtly impair maternal-fetal health, particularly in iodine-deficient populations. The U.S. EPA sets a reference dose of 0.0007 mg/kg-day, equivalent to about 24 ppb in drinking water, but states like California and Massachusetts apply even stricter limits (EPA, 2017)[3]. This is especially important in Martian settings, where control systems may not match Earth’s redundancy and populations may be more vulnerable.

PnP

Dr. Jodi Flaws highlighted growing evidence that perchlorates can impact sex hormone regulation, ovary development, and fertility in animal models, suggesting that chronic exposure in closed-loop habitats could cause multi-system disruption.

In plants, perchlorates interfere with the ability to take up and metabolize nitrogen. Because of their structural similarity to nitrate, perchlorates are absorbed via nitrate transporters, disrupting chlorophyll production and protein synthesis. This can lead to reduced germination, stunted growth, and visible symptoms such as chlorosis. Studies confirm perchlorate accumulation in edible tissues of crops like spinach and lettuce, which raises major food safety concerns for any future agriculture on Mars (Ha et al., 2011, Sanchez et al., 2006)[5][6]. Dr. Robyn Tanguay, emphasized distinguishing between detectability and biological impact, reminding us that modern instrumentation can identify perchlorates at parts-per-trillion levels that may lack toxicological significance, informing our reactor’s sensing targets and flow rates.

Anaerobic bacteria like Dechloromonas and Azospira, naturally reduce perchlorate via respiratory pathways into chloride and oxygen, inspiring our genetic engineering strategy using perchlorate reductase plasmids in E. coli.

Interview Protocol

Timeline of Interviews

Stakeholder interviews are one of the most vital components to our IHP. Therefore, we adopted a protocol to ensure all interviews were properly conducted and cited. Before conducting interviews we sent out a consent form allowing interviewees to accept or deny having the information they share a part of our wiki and other promotion materials. We wanted to ensure that these interviews were done ethically, and this is one of the main components of making this true. During the interview, we tried our best to take notes verbatim in order to avoid miscommunications through paraphrasing. Finally, after each interview we sent a follow up to thank the interviewee for their time and insights.

Throughout our season we continuously revised our methodology to overcome issues we encountered. Many of our stakeholders greatly influenced our decisions and helped us fine tune our methodology. We completed a variety of interviews from comparing different model organisms to designing our modular bioreactor.

Damian Helbling - March 12, 2025
Switching from a batch reactor to a modular bioreactor design
April Gu - March 14, 2025
Using a closed loop system for the bioreactor
Buz Barstow - March 28, 2025
Advice on modeling topics and techniques
Lynn Rothschild and Garrett Roberts Kingman - April 3, 2025
Weighing the use of E. coli versus D. aromatica and the creation of a sensor
David Specht - April 11, 2025
Pros and Cons of choosing another model organism like V. natriegens
Meredith Silberstein - April 18, 2025
Exploring different sensing methods and reactor types
Adam Arkin - May 1, 2025
Emphasis on separating model organisms within the reactor
Chris Mason - May 2, 2025
Broader application of PRoSPER
Sophia Windemuthn - May 2, 2025
Solidified our choice of using the Nissle 1917 lipoprotein strain of E. coli
Sijin Li - May 6, 2025
Further modification of the bioreactor system
Hans Carlson - May 6, 2025
Separated but linked reactor and further investigating of E. coli
Bruce Rittmann - May 8, 2025
Possibility of using a biofilm based bioreactor
Anthony Hay - July 3, 2025
Use of biofilms and possible modeling opportunity they provide
Brian Bishe - August 12, 2025
Cyanobacteria in space and ecological restoration

As we continued with PRoSPER we realized we needed to learn more about soil composition and how soil interacts with growing plants. This also helped us better understand how we would go about remediating the soil and different procedures we could deploy to make sure our remediation was efficient and feasible.

Johannes Lehmann - April 22, 2025
Applications of PRoSPER on Earth and bioreactor design
Daniel Buckley - May 1, 2025
Treating soil flow through and revising co-culture plan
BJonathan Russell-Anelli - June 26, 2025
Accounting for change in gravity and making optimal plant choices
Nina Bassuk - June 26, 2025
Optimal soil composition for plant growth
Deborah Grantham - July 3, 2025
Importance of resource cycling
Morgan Irons - July 14, 2025
Managing toxic regolith and containment protocol
Beth Ahner - August 5, 2025
Synechococcus role in the co-culture and soil supplementation

Our project has the main focus of reducing perchlorates. As some say, you must keep your friends close, but your enemies closer. This was the exact sentiment we had surrounding perchlorates and we interviewed an array of people from doctors to environmentalists to learn just how much damage pesky little perchlorates can cause.

Kate Scow - June 25, 2025
Justification of the modular bioreactor for a perchlorate reduction result
Elizabeth Pearce - June 27, 2025
Health effects of Perchlorates on the thyroid
Jodi Flaws - June 30, 2025
Health effects of Perchlorates on pregnant people
Robyn Tanguay - July 11, 2025
Perchlorate effects on the environment and other organisms

The space village comes with a whole realm of unexplored questions and policies. In order to complete a proper ethical examination of our project we wanted to talk with experts who already had a deep understanding of current space policies and possible ethical concerns.

Henry Hertzfeld - April 2, 2025
Understanding different space policies all over the world
Brian Green - April 9, 2025
Examining the impact of PRoSPER on the natural landscape of Mars
Robert Zubrin - April 28, 2025
Ethics and overall efficiency of PRoSPER
Kelly Smith - July 3, 2025
A diverse set of perspectives and ethical deep dive
Margaret Race - July 7, 2025
Ethics of remediating Mars before healing Earth
Bruce Lewenstein - July 10, 2025
Importance of science effective communication and education
Timiebi Aganaba - July 15, 2025
Space governance and responsibility for ecological harm
Chelsea Haramia - August 4, 2025
Extent of ethical considerations and policy loopholes

As we progressed with PRoSPER we kept stakeholders in the loop. Here we have highlighted some of their major contributions and responses to our final project proposition.

Jonathan Russell-Anelli - July 30, 2025
Understanding different space policies all over the world
Beth Ahner - July 30, 2025
Understanding different space policies all over the world
Buz Barstow - September 4, 2025
Understanding different space policies all over the world
Kate Scow - September 7, 2025
Understanding different space policies all over the world
Christopher Mason - September 25, 2025
Understanding different space policies all over the world

The age old question: E. coli or D. aromatica

One issue we consistently encountered was the contrasting and limited information surrounding the decision of which model organisms we should utilize in our coculture. We confirmed our use of Synechococcus early on due to its chloride sequestration capability which would be difficult to transform into another organism, as it involves not only the active uptake of chloride but also a high tolerance. Thus, we had to decide between engineered E. coli and D. aromatica for our perchlorate reducer.

Table of E. coli pros and cons

After a comprehensive review of the feedback from our stakeholders and the available literature, we decided to use E. coli as our perchlorate reducing agent with the pcr pathway from D. aromatica. We believed that it was overall more feasible for our team but also recognized the challenges that we would face.

Inclusivity

PRoSPER integrates inclusivity into the structure of our project design, outreach, and framing of synthetic biology's role in space exploration. While only a select few may ever set foot on Mars, the systems we create and the decisions we make today must reflect the diverse communities on Earth who will be affected by biotechnological advancement. From science communication to stakeholder engagement, we have prioritized accessibility, equity, and global representation throughout our work.

We conducted interviews across a wide range of disciplines: researchers, soil scientists, space engineers, medical professionals, ethicists. This is not just to inform technical design for Wet Lab and Product Development, but to ensure that we were incorporating insights from people of different cultural, professional, and geographical backgrounds. Notably we interviewed Dr. Timiebi Aganaba, a space governance expert who has worked on international policy in both developed and developing countries. Her experience helped us understand the nuances of global access to space technologies, especially from the perspective of countries with emerging space programs.

Inclusivity for us also meant examining space colonization. We discussed planetary ethics and asked participants of our interviews on how we should approach interplanetary settlement. We spoke with Professor Bruce Lewenstein, a leader in public understanding of science, about how to communicate uncertain and ethically loaded ideas in ways that resonate across age, education, and cultural backgrounds.

This approach extended into our educational outreach as well. Our children's book simplifies complex ideas in synthetic biology, while our policy handbook foregrounds the contributions and aspirations of developing nations. In talking to children at space centers and to elderly populations at senior living, we reached out to a wide array of people with diverse perspectives and learned experiences. It was important for us to ensure that we could represent our whole community, rather than only a small fraction of it. We covered countries like Brazil, which has a robust bioeconomy and growing interest in space research, to show how space policy can be shaped outside of traditional power centers. Our goal is to reflect a broader, more pluralistic future for space exploration. One that doesn’t replicate past exclusions.

Inclusivity with PRoSPER means engaging with the intersections of geopolitics, social equity, and scientific advancement. It's an ongoing process of asking: who gets to participate? Who is affected? And how can we design for a future that reflects not only technical excellence, but collective responsibility?

Education

This year, our education efforts worked to explain the science behind our methods while also creating understanding and fostering dialogues with those in our community, and beyond. Our biggest goal was to make our education efforts as widespread and inclusive as possible, while still ensuring we made a true impact within our community. This year we focused on four age groups: children, teenagers, adults, and seniors. Each of these groups provided valuable feedback that we integrated back into our project. Whether it be questions posed by middle schoolers making us do more through background research or the ethical concerns held by seniors in our community, we integrate much of the feedback back into PRoSPER.

Activities ranged from stationed activities at our local science center focusing on the core of synthetic biology by taking a deep dive into plasmids to creating a class specially designed for high school students to learn more about synthetic biology outside of school. Each of these events were carefully crafted by our members to maximize the interest of our community members while still helping to educate the public on synthetic biology and PRoSPER. Our efforts this season were deeply personal as we involved ourselves with our community with the goal of fostering faith in the potential of synthetic biology, curiosity, and hope for humanity's future. Please read more about our education efforts on our “Education” page!

Policy + Ethics Concerns

Ethics are always complicated, because there is never a single, correct answer. Similar to many scientific endeavors, the primary ethical consideration of our project is risk assessment– having to balance the possibility of unknown consequences with the benefits of scientific advancement. PRoSPER’s use of synthetic biology to bioremediate Martian regolith raises critical ethical questions surrounding planetary protection, responsible innovation, and governance. Professor Brian Patrick Green, a leading voice in space ethics, helped us understand that the primary concern with planetary colonization is forward contamination: introducing engineered microbes risks interfering with potential native ecosystems or obscuring detection of indigenous life. Following the precautionary principle, we acknowledge that we lack sufficient understanding of Martian biology to fully anticipate the consequences of releasing Earth-based organisms. Although we do not have all the answers due to many unknown variables in space, we can still consider how we can minimize these ethical concerns. These insights lead us to prioritize biocontainment strategies, for example this was a driving factor in treating the soil flow through rather than the soil itself. Using this method we can contain the bacteria ensuring the soil stays organism free. As a further next step, we would deploy an additional camber into our bioreactor for all soil flow through to be treated with UV lights to kill any escaped organisms. Additional precautions can be taken by housing plants in a green house and in a raised bed system further mitigating possible contamination.

Dr. Green also emphasized the long term ethical obligations that humanity holds when initiating biological interventions beyond Earth, particularly regarding stewardship of resources and dual use risks. His reflections helped shape our approach to biosecurity, leading us to incorporate stronger design constraints to prevent our engineered organisms from being repurposed for harmful applications if reintroduced to Earth.

Similarly, space policy expert at George Washington University, Henry Hertzfeld, highlighted the importance of international frameworks, reminding us that although the Outer Space Treaty (1967) sets boundaries on sovereignty, questions about enforcement and ethical compliance remain unanswered. In response, we created a space ethics and policy handbook compiling all current space policies to propose our own set of universal guidelines. This helped us further understand how PRoSPER will interact with current laws and regulations while also providing a framework for future teams to build upon.

PRoSPER Handbook: Ethics, Policy, and Planetary Protection

Exploring Synthetic Biology in Space through Ethical and Policy-Driven Lenses

iGEM Cornell 2025

July 2025

We were also inspired to call our elected officials to action, and urged them to take interest in the Quad Space Act, which would encourage the Secretary of Defense to open discussions with other nations regarding the future of space travel and future industrial policies surrounding space. Many of our members sent letters to their local officials asking for them to consider voting in favor of the act.

Dr. Haramia, a Science Advisory Board member at the SETI Institute, introduced us to the concept of normativity. This philosophical concept separates the valence of an outcome from responsibility: if we demonstrate good intentions, exercise due diligence to avoid unfavorable outcomes, and clearly justify our actions, our moral accountability is partially mitigated even in the event of adverse outcomes. While this does not enable us to reckless action, it provides a degree of ethical flexibility.

For example, one ethical challenge that arose was the use of water, a very scarce resource. Remediating soil requires water, but this scarce Martian resource is also critical for human needs like hydration and fuel production. We’ve responded by optimizing our design for water retention and minimal loss. We now frame water use not just as a technical consideration, but an ethical one, prioritizing efficiency and planetary stewardship. Moreover, the issue of agricultural ethics—using engineered microbes to enable food production—also prompted us to add new layers of containment and redundancy, ensuring that microbes remain stable and beneficial across different Martian conditions.

We have adopted all of these ideas into our long standing ethical framework: EUDI or empathize, understand, develop, and implement. Empathize involves speaking with a variety of stakeholders to better understand the challenges they face. Understanding requires taking these perspectives into account when designing PRoSPER and finding ways to implement them into the project. Develop represents actually putting these ideas into action and assembling the technical components of the project. Lastly, implement ensures follow through with our ideas and an invitation for reflection and edits.

E

This year we interacted with a multitude of stakeholders from community members at the Sciencenter to space microbiologists. With every interaction we have taken away a key piece of information and tried to better understand why people held their perspective. For example, seniors at Longview expressed their concerns for the ethics of space colonization. As seniors who have witnessed past atrocities we could understand where these concerns came from.

U

Our team showed understanding through a majority of our outreach and education work. Every time a concern was revealed to us we tried our best to address it through some type of media, whether it be our podcast and Instagram, or an in-person activity and discussion. Many of these conversations also led to broader and more in-depth research of our project. For example, the creation of the policy handbook, the exploration of ethical concerns, and a movement to advocate for our planet Earth was all born out of concerns and ideas from our community members at various events.

D

Most of our methodology design for PRoSPER was heavily influenced and was in response to stakeholder feedback. As the project progressed we edited and changed much of our plan. For example, we went from planning to use D. aromatica as our perchlorate reducing organism to using E. coli due to stakeholder concern with cost and ease of transformation. As we changed our implementation we continued speaking with stakeholders to allow PRoSPER to continually grow throughout the season.

I

After each new development we took time to reflect on its contribution to our overall goal. Oftentimes this allowed us to avoid redundancies and develop the project in helpful ways. For example, our bioreactor design underwent many iterations, each of them heavily influenced by stakeholder interviews we held throughout the season. At the start of our season, we were going to implement a batch reactor yet as we talked to more and more stakeholders our design slowly switched into a modular design that can be fully customizable by the users. Many of our interviews further informed our modeling efforts, helping us decide and evaluate exactly which parameters of our project would be the most fruitful to model.

Safety and Security

From the start of designing PRoSPER, we knew that working with engineered microbes in a soil treatment system would require careful attention to containment and risk management. To that end, we developed a closed, modular bioreactor with microbial growth and treatment occurring in physically separated, sealed environments. This closed system structure ensured that engineered E. coli and Synechococcus remained fully contained, with no direct exposure to the external environment.

To reduce the risk of unintended exposure or release, we immobilized microbes on biofilm-compatible carriers and divided the system into two phases. Media containing viable cells is fully drained before any flowthrough step begins. Additionally, we recommend a UV sterilization step at the system’s exit to act as a fail-safe layer of containment in the event of mechanical or biological failure.

Along with this physical containment, our Wet Lab and Product Development subteams had extensive safety training and protocol development, guided by Cornell University policies:

I. Institutional Biosafety Compliance

We filed an IBC Memorandum of Understanding and Agreement (MUA), detailing our use of recombinant nucleic acids and genetically modified organisms. The MUA outlines our containment protocols, microbial strains, vector systems, risk classification, and sterilization procedures.

II. Safety Training and Certification

All Wet Lab members completed the following Cornell University Environment, Health, and Safety (EHS) trainings via Workday:

These trainings cover topics such as personal protective equipment (PPE), biological and chemical waste handling, hazard communication, emergency response, SOP adherence, and spill management. In practice, we wear PPE at all times and perform microbial work inside biosafety cabinets. All biohazardous waste is disposed of according to Cornell EHS procedures.

To maintain aseptic conditions during microbial work, Wet Lab members followed strict sterility protocols. All media and glassware were autoclaved prior to use, and workspaces and equipment were disinfected with 70% ethanol and 10% bleach before and after each procedure. Tools such as inoculation loops and test tube necks were flame-sterilized using Bunsen burners. These practices, alongside consistent biosafety cabinet and PPE use, helped minimize contamination risk and uphold experimental integrity throughout the project.

III. Product Development Training for ELL Access and Use

Additionally, our Product Development team went through various training sessions in order to properly use our ELL space. Before using particular tools, our Product Development lead went through specific safety measures, like PPE and use guidelines, for all team members to abide by. Specific training includes how to prevent a short circuit and soldering kit safety training. Additional training was also performed when specific tools were in use and members interacted with them. A buddy system was also implemented to ensure that no one was ever in our work station by themselves which added an extra layer of security.

Feedback helped us refine both our physical and biological safety strategies. Dr. Damian Helbling, a civil and environmental engineering professor, focused on contaminant transport and water system design. He has helped us evaluate our initial reactor flow and strategies to prevent leakage or buildup. Dr. Bruce Rittmann, an environmental engineer known for his work on biofilm-based water treatment systems, advised us on flow design, biomass control, and long-term maintenance. Dr. Meredith Silberstein, a mechanical engineering professor with experience in hybrid biological-material systems, guided our thinking on material compatibility and structural layout. These conversations directly contributed to design choices that made our containment approach practical and grounded in real-world considerations. As a result, we developed a system that prioritizes biosafety and biosecurity at every stage.

Safety and Security

PRoSPER represents just the first step toward making traditional farming methods possible in space. As we look ahead to the future of space colonization, our team has explored multiple problems facing soil-based agriculture. Together we have examined Mars' climate, plant nutrition, and the long-term future of Earth to better understand the effect of PRoSPER on people and Mars.

Terrain

Mars differs from Earth in many ways including the difference in gravity, sunlight, and weather patterns. The difference in gravity is an obstacle facing traditional farming on Mars. Gravity is required to move water through soil since water tends to cling to surfaces. The accumulation of water can lead to root suffocation if the medium the plant is grown in is not porous. To combat this, Dr. Russell-Anelli recommended using a well-draining substrate to allow the roots to breathe while still holding enough moisture for the plant to thrive. On Earth, many farmers use tough organic matter like paper crumble or wood chips to increase aeration (Gov UK)[1]. Similar methods would have to be applied to plots on Mars to allow for this kind of permeability, this would be an effective next step when thinking about the future of Mars colonization.

Another environmental obstacle could be the strength of the sun on Mars. There is less intense sunlight on Mars compared to Earth, with Mars only receiving about two thirds the amount Earth experiences in a year (Sailsbury, 2002)[2]. This may cause issues when it comes to planting crops that need to photosynthesize. Therefore, we could strategically target spots that will receive the optimal amount of sunlight. Additionally keeping crops in a monitored environment could also be beneficial in combating this.

Lastly, the weather on Mars differs dramatically from the weather on Earth. Mars is no stranger to high amounts of dust storms. Not only could this pose a physical threat to plants but Martian dust is notably high in dust and is enriched with sulfur and chloride which can also harm plants in high concentrations (NASA, 2017)[3]. Due to this we would recommend the implementation of PRoSPER and other planetary agriculture to occur in a greenhouse or controlled environment. This would be an additional next step for planetary exploration.

Plant Nutrition

Most importantly, Martian regolith is high in perchlorates and low in essential nutrients like nitrogen, so it cannot naturally support crops without major adjustments. PRoSPER serves as a stepping stone for soil remediation on Mars with next steps including adding these necessary nutrients to the soil. Professor Jonathan Russell-Anelli recommended using mineral supplements like basalt can add nutrients to make soil on Mars useful, but the use of basalt may raise the soil’s pH. Although there is a drawback to using resources available on Mars, choosing crops that tolerate alkalinity or adding organic acids could potentially help mitigate these issues as well.

Many stakeholders, like Dr. Bassuk recommended looking into different things like compost to reintroduce these vital nutrients into the soil. Once soil remediation with PRoSPER is complete we could turn to different tactics like organic compost to continue to introduce other compounds into the soil. For example, since Mars' atmosphere is almost entirely nitrogen-free, microbes that fix nitrogen will be essential. Nutrient delivery also needs to be controlled, possibly through fertigation systems designed for closed environments. Additionally, perchlorates are unevenly distributed on Mars, so spatial mapping tools may help track contamination and guide where remediation is needed most. These strategies altogether aim to build a soil system that supports plant growth even under extreme conditions.

Another possible more short term solution could be planting more robust plants who could thrive in the high pH conditions. This would include crops like asparagus, beets, cabbage, cauliflower, okra, and sweet potatoes.

Keeping Earth Clean

Many of our conversations during outreach events emphasized community member's concern for Earth and the damage being done to the planet by climate change. For example, many residents at the Longview senior center emphasized the importance of keeping Earth habitable and doing our duty to support the planet we have called home. We wholeheartedly agree with this sentiment and made efforts to take a stand for Earth. As a team we drafted letters in support of the Methane Border Adjustment Mechanism Act and the Sustainable Vessel Fuel Act. These acts ask the government to make a stand against methane emissions and support resource conservation respectively. We urged community members to send these drafted letters to their elected officials in favor of these policies.

Additionally, several interviews, like the one with Dr. Margaret Race, brought up the ethical concern of exploring space travel while there are more pressing issues on Earth that could use these resources. Yet PRoSPER has yielded systems and ideas that can be applicable to sustainable farming methods on Earth. While PRoSPER was originally designed with Martian colonization in mind, the technology we are developing directly correlates to pressing environmental challenges on Earth. Perchlorate contamination is not unique to Mars, because it is a persistent pollutant found in groundwater and soil near military bases, fireworks manufacturing sites, and rocket testing facilities (Srinivasan, 2009)[1]. Our engineered E. coli and Synechococcus strains could be deployed to help remediate these polluted sites through an affordable and scalable bioremediation system. Additionally, with rising soil salinity threatening agriculture in arid and over-irrigated regions across the globe, our biofilm-based reactor could offer a solution to improve soil health and food production.

Beyond cleanup, the project opens possibilities for sustainable agriculture. By recycling water through our system and reducing chemical runoff, PRoSPER can contribute to closed-loop farming systems that minimize environmental impact. In this way, our work in synthetic biology not only looks toward the future of space colonization but also responds to the urgent need for greener technologies here on Earth.

Summary

We have our eyes fixed upon Mars but we are far from forgetting the human aspect of our project. This year our team worked hard to meet with various stakeholders across a plethora of fields, including cyanobacteria researchers, doctors, and science communication experts, to understand PRoSPER's effect on our world and implement relevant feedback.

Reflective

Our project began with a core value of scientific exploration and human advancement. Yet as our season progressed, it shifted to have a moral point of view– by protecting extraterrestrial bodies– and social emphasis. Throughout our project we have kept a reflective attitude, this was especially true due to our ethics framework EUDI, or empathize, understand, develop, and implement. After each stakeholder interview or event, we considered each person's concerns and input with extreme care. We implemented their visions into our outreach and education work, like creating a policy handbook and writing letters to our elected officials, and our project, like altering our approach to cleaning Mars regolith. We also compared our approach to other popular methods of remediation like reverse osmosis and hydroponics. These comparisons helped us find novel ways to better improve these methods. As the season progressed, these interviews and perspectives led to change within our project– we switched our model organism, changed the bioreactor design, and even took a deep dive into the policy and ethical concerns of the project. With these changes came overall edits to our vision of PRoSPER.

Responsible

As a team, we have tried our best to mitigate the misuse of PRoSPER. That started by treating soil flow through rather than releasing our foreign Earth bacteria into martian soil. We also created different user manuals to give clear instructions on the use of our bioreactor and lab equipment. We promoted safety to our members by requiring wet lab and product development members to take training classes about lab and tool safety. Beyond this, we promoted safety outside the lab by making sure activities were all age appropriate and safe for participants. At first, it may seem our work is only applicable to companies investigating interplanetary travel or people wealthy enough to perhaps make the trip to Mars one day. Yet, this is not the case. Our project has large implications on Earth, and can serve as an example of efficient bioremediation in areas with a high perchlorate levels on our planet. This will benefit both human and environmental health.

Responsive

Through the season we consulted multiple stakeholders. Most of our interviews fell into 5 broad categories including: technical, soil, perchlorate, policy + ethics, and closing the loop interviews. Within these sections we interviewed engineers, microbiologists, space policy experts, and doctors. Specifically, we wanted to learn more about how PRoSPER would affect human and environmental health along with the soil composition. These interviews helped us morph our overall goals and plans, while also checking the feasibility and methodology of our work. For example, many of our conversations with modeling experts allowed us to make critical decisions in the development of our work, like leaning toward modeling relating to our model organisms and growth equations rather than strictly modeling biofilm formation. We also ensured to follow up, or close the loop with interviews, and kept stakeholders updated about our work, inviting further questions and recommendations for PRoSPER. Together we adopted these diverse opinions and points of view through multiple adjustments of our project for the better!

Future Plans

PRoSPER aims to champion a long-term contribution to sustainable space exploration. Rather than ending at the Jamboree, we are committed to developing a functional, closed-loop bioremediation system that can support agriculture and human health in extreme environments like Mars. We’ve consulted with leaders in space biology, synthetic biology, and systems engineering to ground our design in real-world feasibility, and we plan to continue refining and testing our system post-iGEM—both in the lab and through partnerships with academic and private sector collaborators.

Looking forward, we see PRoSPER as part of a broader vision for sustainable off-Earth living. Our system’s ability to recycle water, remove toxic compounds, and support microbial productivity aligns with growing interest in resilient life support technologies. With a long-term focus on planetary health and sustainability, we hope to develop a product that will not only remove harmful toxins from Martian soil, but also add enriching elements to make the soil more viable for crop growth. Specifically, we hope to begin scaling up our design and in order for this to be a realistic solution for Mars soil remediation. Additionally, continuing to work with environmental agencies is at the forefront of PRoSPER to ensure that the health of our Earth does not take the back burner while extra terrestrial remediation occurs. While focusing on this, our team will continuously evaluate the ethical implications of space travel and the governmental regulations surrounding space colonization.

Conclusion

PRoSPER is more than a competition project. It is our stepping stone towards a sustainable space exploration as well as a reflection of how synthetic biology can address critical challenges that happen, not only on Earth, but also in space. Through our integrated human practices, we have made sure that our technology remains grounded in the needs of the real world. From various interviews with experts in policy and science, we have shaped PRoSPER into a project that considers safety, efficiency, and ethics.

However, our work will not end at the Jamboree. We see PRoSPER as a foundation for future innovation whether in Martian soil remediation, Earth remediation, or efficient farming. By continuing collaboration with scientists, educators, and space organizations, we hope to advance this technology toward practical implementation. PRoSPER represents a small but meaningful step toward the future of which synthetic biology helps humankind to thrive, both on Earth and among the stars.

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Mission to Mars...