Overview:
NASA is seeking advanced urine-analysis technologies to generate new insights from archived astronaut urine samples. The goal is to support precision-medicine research by identifying novel biomarkers and providing a broader view of disease, organ function, and physiological changes over time. The project is focused on in-depth laboratory analysis rather than routine urinalysis or general screening for metabolic imbalances.
Background:
NASA has access to a significant collection of archived astronaut urine samples. They are interested in understanding what can be extracted from urine and analyzed to gain deeper insights on an individuals health. One area of interest is the isolation and analysis of urinary exosomes and other extracellular vesicles, which may provide a broader snapshot of physiological changes across the body. NASA has conducted exploratory work to isolate exosomes from urine samples and compare urine-derived findings with signals identified in blood. Building on this work, NASA would like to understand what additional insights could be generated through advanced urine-analysis technologies and integrated multi-omics approaches.
Constraints:
- Relevance to one or more of the following precision-medicine applications:
- Novel biomarker discovery
- Disease- or organ-specific insights
- Longitudinal monitoring of physiological changes
- Comparison of urine- and blood-derived signal
- Ability to analyze old, archived urine samples, including:
- Urinary exosomes and other extracellular vesicles
- Multi-omics profiling and data integration
- Sensitive analysis of limited-volume samples
- Open to technologies at all maturity levels
Possible Solution Areas:
- Multi-omics profiling approaches (proteomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics, lipidomics, etc.)
- Advanced molecular analysis platforms (mass spectrometry, sequencing, microfluidics, etc.)
- Urine- and blood-based biomarker correlation approaches
- Novel biomarker discovery and longitudinal health-monitoring tools
- Machine learning/AI-enabled multi-omics data integration and interpretation
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