Fathi Karouia
Senior Research Scientist
Affiliation: Blue Marble Space Institute of Science
Email: fathi.karouia@nasa.gov
Professional Biography
2019-Present: S. Res. Scientist (BMSIS), Exobiology Branch, NASA ARC; 2013-2019: Non-Rodent Portfolio Lead Scientist and Project Scientist, Space Biology Project, Space Biosciences Research Branch, NASA ARC; 2013-2019: Prof. Researcher (Research Professor), Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California San Francisco; 2011-2013: Assistant Prof. Researcher (Assistant Research Professor), Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California San Francisco; 2009-2011: NASA Postdoctoral Fellow/ORAU, Exobiology Branch, NASA ARC; 2008-2009: Institute for Space Systems Operations Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Houston; 2000-2003: Research Associate, Biomedical Branch, NASA Jonson Space Center; 2000-2001: Research Assistant, Oncology Branch, University of Texas Medical Branch; 1999-1999: Engineer, Strategic Planning, Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales.
Education
Ph.D. in Biology, University of Houston;
MS in Space Studies, International Space Studies;
MS in Space Technologies, Louis Pasteur University;
MS in Physics, Henri Poincare University;
BS in Physics and Chemistry, Henri Poincare University.
Research Interests
I have been working on several areas of research, planetary protection, astrobiology, space biology, human spaceflight, and space technologies, that seek to understand the molecular and cellular mechanisms associated with space adaptation based on a systemic approach of biological systems to characterized specific pathways and develop suitable countermeasures to sustain human spaceflight and space explorations. These activities are either ground based using devices to simulate microgravity (Rotation wall vessels) or partial gravity (Lunar and Mars) and radiation or flight-based. For the latter, I have been involved to date with 18 flight experiments where either sample were collected from the International Space Station and the astronauts or biological systems were exposed to space environment for different durations and experimental conditions. Finally, I have been at the forefront in the development of analytical capabilities to conduct space experiments. As such, I have been involved in the development of high throughput-based prototypes to conduct in situ omics analysis in space. These platforms could be easily implemented within nanosatellites, the ISS, the gateway, and lunar landers.
Selected Publications
(From the past 5 years)
Investigation of Spaceflight Induced Changes to Astronaut Microbiomes. M. D. Morrison et al., Front. Microbiol., 2 Jun 2021, 12:1368. IF: 5.64.
Human Neural Stem Cells Proliferate More in Space, Have a Shorter Cell Cycle, and are Larger than Ground Control Cells After Space Flight: Implications for Long-term Space Travel. Sophia Shaka et al., J Stem Cells Res Dev. 2021, 7:069. IF: 3.27.
Assessing the risk of transfer of microorganisms at the International Space Station owing to cargo delivery by commercial resupply vehicles. Snehit Satish Mhatre et al., Front. Microbiol., 6 Nov 2020; Vol 11. IF: 5.64.
Validating an automated nucleic acid extraction device for omics in space using whole cell microbial reference standards. Camilla Urbaniak et al., July 2020; Frontiers in Microbiology 11:1909. IF: 5.64.
Crewmember microbiota may influence taxonomy of ISS habitable surface metagenomes. Aram Avila-Herrera et al., PLoS One. 2020 Apr 29;15(4). IF: 3.24.
Principles of Clinical Medicine for Space Flight, JA Jones et al., Chapter 2: Radiation and Radiation Disorder, Edited by M. Barratt, 2nd Edition. Springer, ISBN-978-1-4939-9889-0, Dec 2019.
Gene Expression Measurement Module (GEMM) for space application: Design and validation. Peyvan K et al., Life Sci Space Res. 2019 Aug;22:55-67. C:3; IF: 2.08.
Characterization of the Total and Viable bacterial and fungal communities associated with the International Space Station Surfaces. Aleksandra Checinska Sielaff et al., Microbiome. 2019 Apr 8;7(1): 50. C:98; IF: 14.65.
Evaluation of Acquired Antibiotic Resistance in Escherichia coli Exposed to Long-Term Low-Shear Modeled Microgravity and Background Antibiotic Exposure. Madhan Tirumalai et al., MBio. 2019 Jan 15; 10(1). C:19; IF: 6.78.
International Space Station conditions alter genomics, proteomics, and metabolomics in Aspergillus Nidulans. Jillian Romsdahl et al., Appl Microbiol Biotechnol. 2019 Feb; 103(3):1363-1377. IF: 3.53.
Succession and persistence of microbial communities and antibiotic resistance genes associated with International Space Station environmental surfaces. Nitin Singh et al., Microbiome. 2018 Nov 13; 6(1): 204. IF: 14.65.
Comprehensive Toxicology, Jones, J. A. et al., Ionizing Radiation as a Carcinogen. (2018). 3rd Edition. Volume 7, pp. 183-225. Oxford: Elsevier Ltd. ISBN:9780081006016.
Toward Biotechnology in Space: High-throughput Instruments for in situ biological Research beyond Earth. Karouia F et al., Biotechnol Adv. 2017 Nov 15;35(7):905-32. IF: 14.23.
The Adaptation of E. coli Cells Grown in Simulated Microgravity for an Extended Period is Both Environmental and Genomic. Madhan Tirumalai et al., NPJ Microgravity. 2017 May 23;3:15. IF: 4.37
Cellular Responses and Gene Expression Profile Changes due to Bleomycin-Induced DNA Damage in Human Fibroblasts in Space. Tao Lu et al., PLoS One. 2017 Mar 1;12(3). IF: 3.24.
Detection of DNA damage by space radiation in human fibroblasts flown on the International Space Station. Tao Lu et al., Life Sci Space Res. Volume 12, Feb 2017, P24-31. IF: 2.08.
Transient gene and miRNA expression profile changes of confluent human fibroblast cells in space. Ye Zhang et al. FASEB J. 2016 Jun;30(6):2211-24. IF: 5.19.
Microorganisms, organic carbon and oxidant activity interactions in hyper-arid Mars-like soils: Implications in soil habitability. Julio E. Valdivia-Silva et al. PALAIOS, 2016, V. 30, 1-9. IF: 1.60.
NASA Missions
Three-Dimensional Microbial Mapping (3DMM), ISS Microbial Observatory of Pathogens (MT-2), Food Physiology, Multi-use Variable-g Platform Cell 2 (MVP-Cell-02) Micro-15, Bioscience 4, Micro-12, Micro-11, Microbial Observatory (MT-1), Micro-10, Micro-9, Micro-8, and Micro-7.
Awards & Others
NASA ARC Recognition Award (2019);
NASA ARC Group Achievement Award (2017);
FILMSS Star Award (2016),
NASA ARC Space Flight Award (2016);
National Science Foundation/American Astronomical Society Award (2013; 2012; 2011);
International Council of Science/COSPAR Astrobiology Award (2012);
International Council of Science/COSPAR Planetary Protection Award (2012);
NASA Astrobiology Institute Conference Award (2011);
National Research Council Postdoctoral fellowship (Denied-2009);
NASA Postdoctoral Fellowship (2009);
NASA Astrobiology Institute Scholarship (2008);
Institute for Space Systems Operations Postdoctoral Fellowship (2008);
European Space Agency Astronaut Candidate (2008).