Maddaford 2026 Simulated Reduced Gravity Fermentation In Suspension Minimum Data Set

This data was used for a paper in submission to Chemical Engineering Research Design with the following abstract.The ability to ferment in outer space will improve the duration and sustainability of human space exploration and habitation. Fermentation processes allow for the conversion of biomass into useful products including foods, fuels, pharmaceuticals. This investigation aims to measure the rate of alcoholic fermentation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae in a simulated reduced gravity environment from a Random Positioning Machine (RPM) to predict the system in a true space condition. The RPM was found to simulate a time averaged gravity condition commensurate with both Lunar and Martian gravities. A relative agitation heuristic was calculated to compare RPM conditions against shaken and still controls of both horizontal and vertical orientation relative to the agitation axis. Substrate and cell data were fitted to a kinetic model where decreases in fermentation yield and rate; and increases in exponential phase, cell density and carrying capacity were observed in both simulated environments, relative to ground controls.