Abstract
Limnospira indica is a cyanobacterium which is currently investigated as a candidate for life support systems in space. Transport to space starts with a storage phase, the time span between leaving the laboratory on Earth and the activation of the bioprocess in space. Here, the cells are kept in dormancy at 4°C, because energy is limited during the upload. This period can take up to two weeks and the influence on living biomass has not been extensively studied. This paper elucidates the influence of dark and cold storage on Limnospira indica growth and composition. The impact depends on gas availability, duration, nutrient availability during storage and initial cell density, pH and pigment content. Additionally, to simulate storage after the arrival of Limnospira indica onboard the ISS, a 14 days cold storage was performed using a dedicated simulated microgravity setup. No negative effect of simulated microgravity was found, when a healthy culture is used.