Presenter(s): Vanessa Hufnagel—Biology
Faculty Mentor(s): Nicole Swann, Alexander Rockhill
Session 5: The Wonders of the Brain
Proposed future missions to send humans to Mars for long term exploration require the development of improved waste management technology in space and increased reliable energy for running necessary systems . In this study, the potential of methanogenic bacteria from wastewater sludge
to be a source of biomethane in the atmospheric composition of Mars was explored . Bottles of wastewater containing methanogens were prepared anaerobically and sparged with either nitrogen or a martian gas mixture and their biogas production was tracked and compared over time . Research findings proving high survivalbiltiy rates of the bacteria and high metabolic function under these extreme conditions suggest anaerobic digestion of mission waste to be a viable solution for recycling human waste and producing biomethane for the production of energy .