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Abstract EANA2026-9


Genomic and physiological characterization of the extremotolerant yeast Debaryomyces hansenii for life-support applications in extraterrestrial environments

GABRIELE ELLENA(1,2); SIMON DRAGUET(1), ARIANNA MAZZOLI(3); IRINA SPACOVA(2); SURYA GUPTA(1), NATALIE LEYS(1); SARAH LEBEER(2); FELICE MASTROLEO(1)
(1) Microbiology Unit, Nuclear Medical Applications, Belgian Nuclear Research Centre (SCK CEN), Mol, Belgium (2) Research Group Environmental Ecology and Applied Microbiology, Department of Bioscience Engineering, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium (3) Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Department of Biology, Complesso Universitario di Monte Sant’Angelo, Edificio 7, Via Cinthia, Napoli, Italy


Sustaining human life during future long-duration space missions requires robust and low-resource biological systems capable of producing food and essential nutrients under extraterrestrial conditions. Extremotolerant microorganisms are promising candidates for protein and vitamin production in space due to their metabolic versatility, ease of cultivation, and resilience to environmental stressors. They can enhance the robustness of bioregenerative life-support systems (BLSS) by acting as biological buffers, expanding operational boundaries (e.g., temperature, pH, and substrate availability) and facilitating recovery from perturbations. Here, we present an integrated genomic and physiological assessment of Debaryomyces hansenii DSM 3428 as a candidate for microbial Vitamin B2 and D2 supplementation, commonly lacking in plant based BLSS diets. We report the new complete genome sequence of D. hansenii DSM 3428, assembled using combined long- and short-read sequencing approaches. Building on this foundation, we evaluated the strain’s physiological response, biomass and vitamins synthesis under simulated gravities using a random positioning machine (RPM) and a rotary wall vessel (RWV) platform. Growth kinetics, dissolved oxygen measurements, proteomic analysis, and quantification of vitamins B2 and D2 revealed that D. hansenii sustained micronutrient production under simulated microgravity despite reduced biomass accumulation. Dissolved oxygen availability was identified as the primary constraint on biomass yield and vitamins production, driven by diffusion limits in low-shear conditions under simulated low gravities, in RWV and RPM.
Similar boundary layer induced limitations have been reported in Limnospira indica, where reduced oxygen exchange led to elevated local O₂ levels and impaired carbon fixation via RuBisCO, ultimately reducing biomass production.

These results demonstrate the potential of D. hansenii as a robust microbial platform for vitamins production for bioregenerative life-support systems, including the Micro Ecological Life Support System Alternative (MELiSSA) project and in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) strategies, while emphasizing the critical role of mass transfer optimization in microgravity bioprocess design. This work highlights the importance of integrating genomic insights with bioprocess engineering to enable sustainable microbial-based nutrition for human space exploration.