# Project C.O.S.M.I.C. : Engineering the Ultimate Martian Life Support System (AWG Feedback Needed) **URL:** \ **Category:** AWG Discussions\ **Tags:** multiomicsawg, microbes, hardwareawg\ **Created:** [July 14, 2026, 11:27am UTC](https://awg.osdr.space/t/project-c-o-s-m-i-c-engineering-the-ultimate-martian-life-support-system-awg-feedback-needed/4320 "2026-07-14T11:27:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![angelovass](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex001/user_avatar/awg.osdr.space/angelovass/32/4181_2.png) [@angelovass](https://awg.osdr.space/u/angelovass)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2026, 11:27am UTC](https://awg.osdr.space/t/project-c-o-s-m-i-c-engineering-the-ultimate-martian-life-support-system-awg-feedback-needed/4320/1 "2026-07-14T11:27:08Z")
Hello everyone! We are a [team from the University of Padua](https://teams.igem.org/6151) participating in the **[iGEM 2026](https://competition.igem.org/) Space Village** with our project **C.O.S.M.I.C.**. Our project aims to address the biological challenges of future missions to Mars by designing a bioreactor capable of providing full life support for humans using locally available resources. Specifically, we are engineering the cyanobacterium _Anabaena sp. PCC 7120_ to produce in situ oxygen and degrade perchlorates to make Martian water usable. The core of our design focuses exclusively on overcoming two major environmental obstacles: extreme radiation and water toxicity. To achieve this, our engineering approach relies on: - **Radiation Protection** : Utilizing the _pprA_ gene from _Deinococcus radiodurans_ to enhance the DNA protection and repair mechanisms of our chassis. - **Water Purification** : Introducing the _pcrABCD_ genes to initiate perchlorate degradation and integrating it with the _cld_ (chlorite dismutase) gene to achieve the complete reduction of perchlorates. - **Biosafety & Biosecurity** : Constructing a kill switch with a _pPetE_ promoter (inducible by _Cu2+_ ions) that utilizes an inactivator/activator mechanism with the _MazF_ toxin. We would greatly appreciate the community’s feedback, particularly regarding our perchlorate degradation pathway and the imple mentation of the _pprA_ gene for radiation resistance. We are very open to meeting up or joining on a quick call to discuss these aspects or any other details of the project with anyone willing to share their insights! ![Team MUTANS 2026 – Graphical Abstract](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex001/uploads/osdr/original/2X/5/5aaa73918781535654858d2c2a77c3b24a3fda0b.jpeg) [@AWGall](https://awg.osdr.space/groups/awgall) ---
**Author:** ![GasMan](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex001/user_avatar/awg.osdr.space/gasman/32/2042_2.png) [@GasMan](https://awg.osdr.space/u/GasMan)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2026, 12:42pm UTC](https://awg.osdr.space/t/project-c-o-s-m-i-c-engineering-the-ultimate-martian-life-support-system-awg-feedback-needed/4320/2 "2026-07-15T12:42:30Z")
Morning @angelovass Really interesting systems concept. My background is more on the AI/data side than wet‑lab synthetic biology, but I think I could help by building a reproducible evaluation framework around your design, for example, an evidence matrix and benchmark pipeline for the pprA module, the pcrABCD + cld perchlorate pathway, and the Cu²⁺/MazF biosafety circuit, with scoring for feasibility, chassis burden, and mission relevance. Since you’re explicitly looking for feedback on perchlorate degradation and radiation resistance, I’d be happy to help structure the literature/data side so design tradeoffs are easier to compare. Before I start putting anything together, do you already have a dataset, design tables, or specific sources you’d prefer I work from? I can either adapt what you’re using here or, if nothing is structured yet, build a small starter dataset based on your design and the relevant literature and keep all assumptions explicit. ---
**Author:** ![borjabarbero](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex001/user_avatar/awg.osdr.space/borjabarbero/32/427_2.png) [@borjabarbero](https://awg.osdr.space/u/borjabarbero)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2026, 2:12pm UTC](https://awg.osdr.space/t/project-c-o-s-m-i-c-engineering-the-ultimate-martian-life-support-system-awg-feedback-needed/4320/3 "2026-07-15T14:12:37Z")
this is very cool!