In order to facilitate studies on the impact of the space environment on biological systems, we have developed a prototype of GEMM (Gene Expression Measurement Module) - an automated, miniaturized, integrated fluidic system for in-situ measurements of gene expression in microbial samples. The GEMM instrument is capable of (1) lysing bacterial cell walls, (2) extracting and purifying RNA released from cells, (3) hybridizing the RNA to probes attached to a microarray and (4) providing electrochemical readout, all in a microfluidics cartridge. To function on small, uncrewed spacecraft, the conventional, laboratory protocols for both sample preparation and hybridization required significant modifications. Biological validation of the instrument was carried out on Synechococcus elongatus, a photosynthetic cyanobacterium known for its metabolic diversity and resilience to adverse conditions. It was demonstrated that GEMM yielded reliable, reproducible gene expression profiles. GEMM is the only high throughput instrument that can be deployed in near future on space platforms other than the ISS to advance biological research in space. It can also prove useful for numerous terrestrial applications in the field.

为了促进对空间环境对生物系统影响的研究，我们开发了GEMM（基因表达测量模块）的原型-GEMM（基因表达测量模块），该自动化，小型，集成的流体系统用于就地测量微生物样品中的基因表达。GEMM仪器能够（1）裂解细菌细胞壁，（2）提取和纯化从细胞释放的RNA，（3）将RNA与连接到微阵列的探针杂交以及（4）提供电化学读数，所有这些都在微流控盒中。为了在小型，无人驾驶的航天器上运行，需要对样本制备和杂交的常规实验室规程进行重大修改。该仪器的生物学验证是在细长突触球菌上进行的，一种光合性蓝细菌，以其代谢多样性和对不利条件的适应性而著称。证明GEMM产生可靠的，可再现的基因表达谱。GEMM是唯一可以在不久的将来部署在除ISS以外的太空平台上以推进太空生物学研究的高通量仪器。它对于该领域的许多地面应用也可能有用。