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There is a significant need for an inexpensive biological approach to recover specific, targeted metals and other target materials in e-waste or other aqueous solutions that requires minimal input of resources, including energy. This invention is a method of removing or adsorbing a target substance or material, for example, a metal, non-metal toxin, dye, or small molecule drug, from solution, by functionalizing a substrate with a peptide configured to selectively bind to the target substance or material and to bind to the substrate. The substrate is fungal mycelium, and the naturally-occurring or bioengineered peptide is called a target-binding domain, which is chemically bonded to a selected solid substrate. The target chemical species binds to the target-binding domain and is removed from solution. The target can be any chemical species dissolved or suspended in the solution. Capture of the target by the substrate can isolate and allow removal of the target substance from solution, or for utilization in water filtration, or recovery of targeted chemical species from solution, particularly aqueous solution applications. The peptides used include (i) fusion peptides and/or proteins containing metal-binding domain sequence and optionally containing substrate-binding domain sequence; (ii) fusion peptides/proteins containing a metal-binding domain and a chitin-binding domain; and (iii) nucleic acids encoding fusion peptides and/or proteins containing metal-binding domain sequence. The technology enables simple scale up to a level that could be successfully implemented in an environment with limited resources, such as on a space mission or on earth in developing countries with poor access to clean water.

The technology provides miniaturized techniques for extracting trace amounts of organic molecules (lipids) from natural samples. It operates as an autonomous, miniaturized fluidic system, integrating lab techniques for lipid analysis while minimizing reagent volumes and concentrating organics for analysis, thereby increasing signal-to-noise ratios by orders of magnitude. The non-aqueous fluidic system described herein for astrobiological and life-detection missions (either in situ or returned sample) is configured to extract lipid organics from regolith using (1) a fluidic sample processor made of materials compatible with organic solvents and (2) a machine-learning system to select processing steps and parameters to maximize lipid yield. A critical gap is bridged by integrating technologies into a system that replicates analytical lab procedures autonomously on a spaceflight instrument scale with fidelity to original lab techniques. Automated fluidic devices combine controlled handling of liquids with sequential operations and parallelization of replicate processes. By designing such systems to closely interface with both sample-delivery and analytical measurement systems, laboratory analyses are automated. The technology adapts best practice laboratory methods for lipid analysis, overcoming analytical challenges like low organic abundance, interference of minerals/salts, and degradation of origin-diagnostic molecular structures. The extraction and concentration techniques from rock/soil samples can be applied to any biomarkers by changing the solvent, temperature, and agitation.

In the event of a fire aboard the Orion Spacecraft, the Portable Fire Extinguisher (PFE) can introduce up to three pounds of water into the cabin to extinguish a fire. A filter was needed to work in conjunction with the Orion Fire Safety System (OFSS) to filter water out of the cabin atmosphere after dispersal from the PFE. Airflow introduced to the smoke filter of the OFSS must be dry and free of large particulates for the sorbent material to effectively extract smoke generated by a fire. These moisture and particulate concerns prompted a re-design of the original filter, especially a filter that could be tested in Earth’s gravity and yielding results that would transfer to a microgravity environment. The newly designed filter uses a multi-phase flow separation method that allows the airflow to develop fully in a helical flow path. This flow path resides within a wicking material used to separate the liquid from the gas (air) while also trapping particulate matter. Helical flow paths implemented in the filter impart a centrifugal force upon the incoming gas/liquid mixture that develops an asymmetric liquid film on the inner contour of the helix. Upon active airflow, the larger water droplets are inertially forced into the inner contour flow path wall. The flow path walls are made from a wicking material, and all liquid film and liquid droplets that are inertially deposited onto the walls are adsorbed into the filter material. The resulting output flow from the filter is 100% gas. The Corkscrew Filter has a technology readiness level (TRL) of 5 (component and/or breadboard validation in relevant environment) and is now available for patent licensing. Please note that NASA does not manufacture products itself for commercial sale.