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UANL student leads NASA Innovation
Biological sciences student Cynthia Valenzuela got first place at the International Air and Space Program organized by NASA in collaboration with AEXA enterprise, which took place this year in Huntsville, Alabama.
Cynthia Elizabeth Valenzuela Chapa, a tenth-grade Biotechnology and Genomics student at the UANL School of Biological Sciences, won first prize in the International Air and Space Program (IASP) with a project where, along with her team, they introduced a bio-coating capable of protecting lunar bases from radiation.
This competition was held in Huntsville, Alabama, thanks to a collaboration between NASA and AEXA, a Mexican transnational company focused on the development of new technologies.
The selected students for this competition participated in a five-day educational program aimed to develop a proposal that contributes to the solution of problems in the aerospace sector.
The winner team, that goes by the name of Luminys, was formed by Valenzuela Chapa and seven members more, through which six are Mexicans and one Guatemalan. Winning among 60 students from all over the world, their proposal could be applied in NASA’s international space program Artemis, which seeks to take astronauts back to the Moon.
‘‘It was a dream come true,’’ she mentioned. ‘‘I knew about this competition since I was in first grade, back when I was 17. Even then I really wanted to go, but I had no idea what to do as a proposal, and I was very inexperienced in other aspects.’’
University President’ Santos Guzmán López congratulated the university student, who was able to demonstrate to the scientific community the Maximum Academic Institution teaching quality.
‘‘Our deepest gratitude to Cynthia for this great achievement, which is undoubtedly a matter of satisfaction for her, and a matter of pride for the UANL community, since it demonstrates the excellent and world-class quality education offered by our University.’’
Santos Guzmán López
UANL’s President
A need to protect astronauts from radiation
Valenzuela Chapa’s team bio-coating proposal is made from lunar regolith, a cyanobacterium capable of producing oxygen, as well as protecting itself from UV radiation, able to resist against a large amount of gamma and UV radiation.
‘‘The bacteria and cyanobacteria help each other to survive, which leads the cyanobacteria to produce oxygen, something relevant to us, since the oxygen produced is going to be stored and then used for other purposes.’’
Cynthia Elizabeth Valenzuela Chapa
Biotechnology and Genomics student at the School of Biological Sciences
‘‘Meanwhile, the radiation-resistant bacteria will produce proteins and a biofilm,’’ she added, ‘‘and once these blends together, it will be placed on the top and side parts of the lunar bases in order to protect them from radiation.’’
The UANL student, along with her team, will have to complete the necessary laboratory tests in a matter of time between six months to a year, and then send all the material to the International Space Station.
‘Radiation is one of the most extreme environmental factors on the Moon. This type of radiation is very harmful both to the astronauts and crops health, crops which we hope astronauts will be able to consume in the long run.’’
Cynthia Elizabeth Valenzuela Chapa
‘So, if we are able to use this product to cover the lunar bases, we will be able to protect the astronauts, and if we also consider covering the greenhouses, we can also protect the crops,’’ she said.
Bio-coating Elements
Lunar regolith. A layer of fine dust that covers the lunar surface.
Synechococcus elongatus. A unicellular cyanobacterium widespread in the marine environment.
Deinococcus radiodurans. An extremophile bacterium and one of the most radiation-resistant organisms known.
Posted by: Portal Web