Man-Made Closed Ecological Systems

Man-Made Closed Ecological Systems explores the interactions between humans, microorganisms, and plants in a closed habitat, and the life support systems necessary to maintain habitability over long periods of time. Problems and approaches involved in creating closed man-made ecological systems (CMESs) from a theoretical and experimental viewpoint are given. Topics include the cultivation of bacteria, microalgae and higher plants; the use of biotechnology to support life outside the Earth's biosphere; methods for recycling air, water and food for human consumption; interactions between humans and other organisms in CMESs; and methods for intensifying the level of photosynthesis. In addition to space the authors investigate problems associated with living conditions in dangerous or difficult environmental areas on Earth such as the Arctic and Antarctica, deserts and mountains.

I.I. Gitelson is a biophysicist, physician and Head Scientific Supervisor of a team of researchers at the Institute of Biophysics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. He and his colleagues developed and implemented the first photosynthesis-based experimental ecological human life support system -- Bios 3. In addition, he has developed a number of experimental and biophysical techniques to analyze cosmonauts' blood for health maintenance during long-duration space missions. G.M. Lisovsky is a Professor in the Department of Plant Physiology, Krasnoyarsk State University, and an Honoured Researcher of the Russian Federation. His main areas of research include the intensification of photosynthesis, plant growth under artificial lighting, and the use of photoculture in plant selection and in closed ecological human life support systems R.D. MacElroy is Deputy Manager of the Fundamental Space Biology Program, NASA Ames Research Center, USA, and oversees a diverse program of non-human biological research including ground-based investigations, space flight research studies, technology development, and program planning activities. He managed the NASA CELSS (Controlled Ecological Life Support Systems) Program between 1979 and 1990