UA contributes to promising research findings about biocomposites in low-earth orbit

Researchers from the University of Akron (UA)’s School of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering in the College of Engineering and Polymer Science contributed to a recently published paper with findings that will help advance the role that humans play in space exploration, highlighting the School’s role in groundbreaking research around the country.

Dr. Ali Dhinojwala, the W. Gerald Austen Endowed Chair in Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering and H.A. Morton Professor in Polymer Science, provided expertise for the paper, which was published in The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), a peer-reviewed journal of the National Academy of Sciences.

The paper, “Radiation protection and structural stability of fungal melanin polylactic acid biocomposites in low Earth orbit,” examines the need for innovative, lightweight and sustainable materials as humans venture further into space. The researchers evaluated the reaction of melanin-containing polylactic acid (PLA) biocomposites that were exposed to the extreme conditions of low Earth orbit. PLA biocomposites are polymers derived from natural sources, and melanin is a natural pigment that plays a role in protecting skin from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays.

The paper was co-authored by researchers at Johns Hopkins University, the NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland and Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif., Princeton University and redhouse studio architecture[JW1] , a Cleveland-based firm that has received NASA funding to study the potential of using self-sustaining materials grown from mushrooms – hence, the fungal melatonin – in Mars habitats.

Dhinojwala and Saranshu Singla ’18, who was a senior research scientist in Dhinajwala’s group at the time, contributed research on synthetic and natural melanin and the preparation of melanin-based samples for radiation studies. They also collaborated with redhouse to design the mycelium-based samples that were submitted for radiation testing. Mycelium is the root-like structure of a fungus.

“As part of the follow-up work, we are now working on analyzing the samples to see how radiation affected the melanin and how much the degradation of polymers were slowed down due to melanin,” Dhinojwala said.

Researchers are exploring the use of melanin in polymers because materials in low-Earth orbit can degrade quickly due to radiation, erosion, extreme temperature changes and other factors. The development of lightweight materials that can withstand harsh conditions is crucial for long-term space exploration and potential settlements in other worlds.

The findings revealed that fungal melanin enhances the structure of PLA, which offers protection against space radiation and other environmental stressors. The structural resilience of these biocomposites highlights their potential for supporting sustainable, long-term space exploration.

Biocomposites with fungal melanin were tested outside of the International Space Station for about six months and showed promising results compared to control samples on Earth. The postflight analysis showed reduced loss of mass and reduced surface wrinkle formation, which indicates that the presence of fungal melanin protects against PLA degradation.

PNAS is an authoritative source of high-impact, original research that broadly spans the biological, physical, and social sciences. The journal is global in scope and submission is open to all researchers worldwide.

UA faculty such as Dhinojwala contribute to research all over the world while also partnering closely with the Northeast Ohio polymer industry. UA is currently ranked No. 1 in EduRank’s list of top universities for polymer science and plastics engineering in the world.

UA media contact: Cristine Boyd, cboyd@uakron.edu; 330-972-6476