NASA sends U of I student research to International Space Station

University of Idaho student research is headed to NASA’s International Space Station (ISS), the university announced this week.

Research led by U of I College of Engineering chemical engineering graduate student Adrienne Shea and Professor Matthew Bernards focuses on developing a bacteria-adhesion-resistant coating for use in space vehicles to protect astronauts from sickness and disease. 

Housed in a protective containment chamber designed and built by Shea, two strains of bacteria most commonly found in wastewater on the ISS will be automatically introduced to stainless steel samples coated in the nonfouling polymers.   

“We're essentially replicating — in an enclosed, protected space — what an astronaut might come into contact with within their drinking water system,” said Shea, of Columbus, Ind. “Working on a project that’s headed to the ISS is an incredible opportunity, not just because it’s space-bound, but because the work we’re doing has real potential to improve human health.”   

The U of I research will remain on the ISS for 30 days before returning to Earth to determine the coating’s success.