PDF(Pubmed)
Abstract：
Molecular biology methods and technologies have advanced substantially over the past decade. These new molecular methods should be incorporated among the standard tools of planetary protection (PP) and could be validated for incorporation by 2026. To address the feasibility of applying modern molecular techniques to such an application, NASA conducted a technology workshop with private industry partners, academics, and government agency stakeholders, along with NASA staff and contractors. The technical discussions and presentations of the Multi-Mission Metagenomics Technology Development Workshop focused on modernizing and supplementing the current PP assays. The goals of the workshop were to assess the state of metagenomics and other advanced molecular techniques in the context of providing a validated framework to supplement the bacterial endospore-based NASA Standard Assay and to identify knowledge and technology gaps. In particular, workshop participants were tasked with discussing metagenomics as a stand-alone technology to provide rapid and comprehensive analysis of total nucleic acids and viable microorganisms on spacecraft surfaces, thereby allowing for the development of tailored and cost-effective microbial reduction plans for each hardware item on a spacecraft. Workshop participants recommended metagenomics approaches as the only data source that can adequately feed into quantitative microbial risk assessment models for evaluating the risk of forward (exploring extraterrestrial planet) and back (Earth harmful biological) contamination. Participants were unanimous that a metagenomics workflow, in tandem with rapid targeted quantitative (digital) PCR, represents a revolutionary advance over existing methods for the assessment of microbial bioburden on spacecraft surfaces. The workshop highlighted low biomass sampling, reagent contamination, and inconsistent bioinformatics data analysis as key areas for technology development. Finally, it was concluded that implementing metagenomics as an additional workflow for addressing concerns of NASA\'s robotic mission will represent a dramatic improvement in technology advancement for PP and will benefit future missions where mission success is affected by backward and forward contamination.
摘要：
在过去的十年中，分子生物学方法和技术取得了长足的进步。这些新的分子方法应纳入行星保护（PP）的标准工具中，并可以在2026年进行验证。为了解决将现代分子技术应用于此类应用的可行性，NASA与私营行业合作伙伴举办了一次技术研讨会，学者,和政府机构利益相关者，以及NASA的工作人员和承包商。多任务宏基因组学技术开发研讨会的技术讨论和演示重点是现代化和补充当前的PP测定。研讨会的目标是在提供经过验证的框架以补充基于细菌内生孢子的NASA标准测定法并确定知识和技术差距的背景下，评估宏基因组学和其他先进分子技术的状况。特别是,研讨会参与者的任务是讨论宏基因组学作为一种独立的技术，以提供对航天器表面上的总核酸和活微生物的快速和全面的分析，从而允许为航天器上的每个硬件项目制定量身定制且具有成本效益的微生物减少计划。研讨会参与者建议宏基因组学方法作为唯一的数据源，可以充分纳入定量微生物风险评估模型，以评估正向（探索外星行星）和反向（地球有害生物）污染的风险。参与者一致认为宏基因组学工作流程，与快速靶向定量（数字）PCR相结合，代表了评估航天器表面微生物负载的现有方法的革命性进步。研讨会强调了低生物量采样，试剂污染，和不一致的生物信息学数据分析是技术开发的关键领域。最后,结论是，将宏基因组学作为解决NASA机器人任务问题的额外工作流程，将代表PP技术进步的巨大进步，并将有利于未来任务的成功受到后向和前向污染影响的任务。
