UCF researchers develop anti-microbe 'shield' for use in space

A robot is dipped glass slides in a special chemical solution. It may not seem like much, but UCF researcher Yuen Yee Li Sip said this coating could help keep things safer for astronauts in outer space.

"Once you create that structure," Sip explained, "you add these tiny balls of metal that's supposed to be antimicrobial."

The coating left a multi-colored residue on the glass. It was part of a film intended to cover things like glass and metal and keep bacteria from growing on it. Yes, many bacteria can survive on the International Space Station.

"Even in space, you would think oh, there's microgravity, they have these other environmental conditions, they still can survive in those conditions," Sip said, "so that's so interesting."

Interesting yes, but not great for astronauts and the systems that keep them alive up there. "That's a bad thing for us, right?" Sip laughed, "You don't want bacteria in your water system, that's going to impact the health of the space crew. It can also cause corrosion in the water treatment system."

Sip said this coating could also help save lives here on Earth, for example letting us use pipelines longer before they corrode and break-down. "The more research we do on this, and hopefully the more we optimize and improve it, we can use this for water treatment systems here on Earth and also in the International Space Station."

Sip said she hoped to test the antimicrobial coating in space about three years from now.