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Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus (CGBA)
07.24.09
Scientists and payload developers can get more information on International Space Station research facilities by contacting the ISS Payloads Office or at 281-244-6187.

Overview | Description | Applications | Operations | Results | Publications | Images

Facility/Payload Overview

Brief Facility Summary

The Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus (CGBA) provides programmable, accurate temperature control, from cold stowage to a customizable incubator, for experiments on cells, microbes and plants.

Facility Manager(s)

  • Louis Stodieck, Ph.D., BioServe Space Technologies, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO

    • Co-Facility Manager(s)

    Information Pending

    Facility Developer

    BioServe Space Technologies, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO

    Sponsoring Agency

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

    Expeditions Assigned

    |0|2|4|5|7|8|13|14|15|16|17|18|19|20|21|22|

    Previous ISS Missions

    CGBA has been utilized on ISS Expeditions 0, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8 ad 13 ? 15.

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    Facility/Payload Description

    Facility Summary

    • CGBA provides a variety of applications from cold stowage to a customizable incubator.


    • CGBA can be used in a wide variety of biological studies such as protein crystal growth, small insect habitats, plant development, antibiotic producing bacteria and cell culture studies.

    Description

    The Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus (CGBA) provides automated processing for biological experiments. CGBA is designed to be installed into an EXpedite the PRocessing of Experiments to Space Station (EXPRESS) Rack for on-orbit operation. During Expedition 0, the CGBA facility was a sortie payload that did not operate on ISS; it operated onboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis during STS-106, while docked with ISS. CGBA launched on board STS-100 and initially installed on ISS in EXPRESS Rack 4 during Expedition 2. For that mission CGBA remained operational and on board the ISS for 96 days when it returned to Earth on board STS-104. CGBA was then launched to the ISS again on board STS-110 and remained on board and fully functional for 72 days. CGBA had its third trip to the ISS on board STS-112 in October of 2002 and remained on board the ISS for almost 5 years, returning to Earth just recently on board STS-118. However, two additional CGBAs have been launched to the ISS one on board STS-116 and the second on board STS-118 and are fully functional units.

    The CGBA can be fitted with customizable insert, the Isothermal Containment Module v4 and 5 (ICM v.4, v.5) provide highly-accurate temperature control ranging between -10 degrees C and 37 degrees C. Eight individually-controlled temperature areas are available inside; the surrounding container controls the temperature gradients. The ICM v.4, 5 are fully equipped with data, video, and telemetry electronics to allow telescience remote operation. ICM v.4, 5 can be equipped with a number of bioprocessing inserts, such as the Multiple Orbital Bioreactor with Instrumentation and Automated Sampling (MOBIAS), and the Gas Exchange - Group Activation Packs (GE-GAP) and small habitats that are called the CGBA Science Inserts (CSI).

    • MOBIAS are stackable trays, each of which provided the appropriate controlled, sterile sample processing environment, with passive gas exchange, automated sampling and waste removal. Each tray contains its own array of sample, culture, media, waste bags, and connectors.


    • GE-GAPs have an aluminum shell that enables heat transfer and a gas-permeable membrane covering the openings in the wall that allows passive gas exchange for the experimental samples located inside the GAPs inside BioServe's Fluid Processing apparatus, a small test tube like piece of hardware that can activate, mix, grow and terminate biological experiments.


    • CSI is a package of experiments, usually containing several smaller habitats that can be launched on the Space Shuttle and inserted into the CGBA on board the ISS. These inserts have the ability to support small plant, animal, protein crystal growth etc. type experiments. The CSI is fully equipped with video and still imaging capabilities that can be monitored from BioServe's POCC in near-real-time.
    CBGA can support temperatures from -10 degrees C to 37 degrees C. Thus, CGBA can be used for cold storage for samples that were processed in a different facility and can be used to incubate samples.

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    Operations

    Facility Operations

    Payloads within the CGBA can operate independently of each other regardless of their temperature needs. CGBA provides independent temperature control with a range of -10 degrees C and 37 degrees C. Most payloads that use the CGBA require minimal crew time due to the facility's automated design.

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    Results/More Information

    Information Pending

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    Availability

  • On-Board ISS

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    Related Web Sites
  • BioServe Space Technology

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    Publications

    Results Publications

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      Related Publications

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        Images

        imageNASA Image: ISS004E11048 - CGBA Isothermal Containment Module (ICM) v.3, installed in EXPRESS Rack 4 just above Expedition 4 Flight Engineer Dan Bursch's extended left arm.
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        imagePostflight image of the CGBA-APS investigation shows a MOBIAS tray with viable culture in bag (large bad at the top of the image), waste and sample bags (located at the right of the image).
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        imageNASA Image: ISS015E08361- Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus (CGBA) container and the Isothermal Containment Module (ICM), which provides automated processing for biological experiments, in the U.S. Laboratory/Destiny during Expedition 15.
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        Information Provided and Updated by the ISS Program Scientist's Office
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