Space Greenhouse Technology Used To Kill Anthrax Spores

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Space Greenhouse Technology Used To Kill Anthrax Spores

Photo - AiroCide TiO2 is a revolutionary device that kills 93.3% of airborne

pathogens that pass through it. The technology emerged from an ethylene gas

removal unit which was originally funded by NASA. That system, called

Bio-KES, is used by the produce industry to preserve perishables. A unique

combination of ultraviolet light (UVGI) and bio-active hydroxl radicals

inside the AiroCide unit actually destroys bacteria, viruses, fungi, molds &

spores. It does not trap, redirect nor store them for later disposal. Since

the unit works constantly to sanitize the air and reduce

cross-contamination, it is the perfect addition to a conscientious safety

plan.

Huntsville - Mar 13, 2002

Building miniature greenhouses for experiments on the International Space

Station has led to the invention of a device that annihilates anthrax -- a

bacteria that can be deadly when inhaled.

" Space-based greenhouses may seem to have little to do with the war against

terrorism, " said Mark Nall, director of the Space Product Development

Program at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. " Yet this

invention shows how commercial space research can benefit people on Earth in

unexpected ways. "

The anthrax-killing air scrubber, AiroCide Ti02, is a tabletop-size metal

box that bolts to office ceilings or walls. Its fans draw in airborne spores

and airflow forces them through a maze of tubes. Inside, hydroxyl radicals

(OH-) attack and kill pathogens. Most remaining spores are destroyed by

high-energy ultraviolet photons.

" Spores that pass through the box aren't filtered -- they're fried, " said

Hayman, president of KES Science & Technology Inc., the Kennesaw,

Ga.-company that manufactures AiroCide Ti02. " That's appealing because you

don't have to change an anthrax-laden air filter. "

The technology to build the anthrax killer emerged from another product,

Bio-KES, which is used by grocers and florists to remove ethylene and thus

extend the life of vegetables, fruits and flowers. Ethylene (C2H4) is a gas

released by the leaves of growing plants -- but too much of it can build up

in an enclosed plant growth chamber or produce storage facility.

Too much ethylene causes plants to mature too quickly, fruit to ripen

prematurely, and it even accelerates decay. This hinders researchers'

efforts to harvest healthy plants grown in space and would also be

undesirable when space travelers build larger space-based greenhouses for

growing fresh food.

The research that led to the invention of Bio-KES started with a crucial

discovery made in the early 90's by scientists at the Wisconsin Center for

Space Automation and Robotics - a NASA Commercial Space Center at the

University of Wisconsin-Madison. These scientists collaborated on the

discovery with Dr. Marc , a professor and chemist who also works at

the university.

The research team found that ultra-thin layers of titanium dioxide (TiO2)

exposed to ultraviolet light converted ethylene into carbon dioxide (CO2)

and water (H2O) -- substances that are good for plants. Subsequently, they

developed a coating technology that applies TiO2 layers to the surfaces of

many materials.

The Wisconsin Center for Space Automation and Robotics, which specializes in

developing robotics/automation technologies for agriculture and

biotechnology research in space, used the TiO2 coating technology to design

an ethylene scrubber.

This first-generation ethylene scrubber was used effectively inside the

Astroculture plant growth unit, which grew potato plants during Space

Shuttle mission STS-73 in 1995. Over the years, scientists refined the

ethylene scrubber, and currently, the third-generation scrubber is being

used successfully inside the Advanced Astroculture for plant experiments on

the International Space Station.

This Space Station experiment and the Wisconsin Center for Space Automation

and Robotics are part of NASA's Space Product Development Program, which

encourages the commercialization of space by industry. There are 17

Commercial Space Centers across America, each specializing in a variety of

areas such as agriculture, materials and biotechnology.

" Through our program, companies invest resources to do experiments in space

that can benefit their businesses, " said Nall. " This results in new and

improved products and services for the American public. "

Commercial Space Centers and their industry partners also explore how

technologies, like the ethylene scrubber, created to conduct space-based

research can be used for a variety of purposes, like killing anthrax, on

Earth.

In this case, KES Science and Technology licensed the TiO2 coating

technology from the University of Wisconsin, which allowed them to develop

an ethylene scrubber and an anthrax-killing scrubber for use on Earth.

The first product the company developed for Earth-use was the Bio-KES --

used to remove ethylene in the air of produce and floral storage rooms and

warehouses, thus increasing the shelf life of flowers, fruits and

vegetables. The device, nominated as Discover Magazine's Product of the Year

in 1998, is used across the globe by grocers, warehouse owners, and

florists.

" Our tests showed that Bio-KES not only removed ethylene, but also killed

airborne dust mites, " said Hayman.

When the ultraviolet light strikes the TiO2 tubes inside Bio-KES, it creates

positive and negative electrical charges. These charges tear apart nearby

water molecules (H2O) and produce hydroxyl radicals (OH-).

" This hydroxyl by-product disrupts organic molecules and is thus deadly to

dust mites, anthrax and many other pathogens, " said Hayman. " We put

higher-powered ultraviolet lamps in the AiroCide TiO2, so more hydroxyl

radicals are produced, giving it an extra kick. "

Scientists at the University of Wisconsin tested the AiroCide TiO2 with a

non-virulent cousin of anthrax. During a typical experiment, a cloud of

approximately 1,000 spores was sucked into the chamber and only 100 or so

spores emerged.

Spores spend at least 5 to 10 seconds traveling through the device's jumbled

tubes and often(More)become trapped by turbulent airflow. They linger and

are attacked by the hydroxyl radicals, or are zapped by the germ-killing

ultraviolet light.

" The longer pathogens stay inside, the more likely they are to die, " said

Hayman. " Tests showed that as many as 93 percent of anthrax spores that

enter the device are destroyed. Survivors are usually drawn back in on later

passes through the reactor bed and are killed. "

This is not the first serendipitous discovery to come out of the Wisconsin

Center for Space Automation and Robotics program. The light source used to

help grow plants in the Astroculture hardware has been adapted for use in a

variety of medical treatments. Quantum Devices Inc., a Barneveld, Wis.

company, makes light emitting diodes for the plant chambers. The company has

been collaborating with NASA and the Medical College of Wisconsin in

Milwaukee to study the benefits of using a similar light source to treat

brain and skin cancer, and heal wounds. Preliminary results from human

clinical trials have been encouraging.

Commercial activity through Commercial Space Centers, such as the Wisconsin

Center for Space Automation and Robotics, has resulted in the development of

numerous products and new technologies, licensing agreements and patents.