On April 30th, 2024, the return capsule of the Shenzhou-17 manned spacecraft landed successfully. The space biofilm research project carried out by Liu Weijie’s team from the School of Life Sciences of Jiangsu Normal University (JSNU) and Beijing Institute of Technology successfully completed the in-orbit experiment. The biofilm culture chip package landed at the Dongfeng Landing Site with the return capsule of the Shenzhou 17 manned spacecraft. Immediately, members of Professor Liu’s team arrived at the Site to recover the samples and carried them to the laboratory. Preliminary results shows that the structure of the chip and the microorganisms inside it were intact, and the in-orbit experiment was a great success.
On-site recycling of scientific experimental samples at Dongfeng landing site
Biofilm culture chip and the device in the laboratory of Liu Weijie’s team at JSNU
In this in-orbit scientific research, Professor Liu Weijie’s team constructed the biofilm genetic engineering strains. By microbial culture chips payload developed by Beijing Institute of Technology (BIT), the strain entered the Mengtian science lab module at the Chinese space station on January 17th, 2024. During the in-orbit period, Professor Liu continuously monitored the entire experimental process at Beijing Aerospace Control Center. With the assistance of the Shenzhou 17 astronaut crew, they conducted multiple space-ground coordinated operations, and the in-orbit experiment was successfully completed. In the future, Professor Liu Weijie’s team will cooperate with Zhang Ying’s group from BIT and conduct further research on physiological metabolism and signal molecule regulation of biofilms in the chip. Also, the scientific research results were expected to lay a theoretical foundation for prevention and control as well as application of space biofilm.
The group photo of Liu Weijie’s team