Easi Life Sciences (Easi LS)

Easi Life Sciences includes Metabolic, Dietary & Biomedical Research, Nutritional and Microbiological Services, and Laboratory Support. Easi plans, manages, and directs the work of researchers and scientists at federal government laboratories.

Easi life science services include:

• Metabolic, dietary, and biomedical research
• Nutritional and microbiological services
• Laboratory support

Metabolic, Dietary & Biomedical Research

Space travel places astronauts under a variety of stressful conditions. Loss of bone mass, reactivation of latent viruses, and micronutrient imbalance are threats to crew health during a mission. At several NASA laboratories, Easi personnel direct operations and research efforts to monitor physiological parameters of the crew and perform peer-reviewed research toward developing countermeasures to minimize the risk to the crew.

These areas include:

• Bone and calcium metabolism
• Dietetics
• Nutritional biochemistry
• Microbiology
  

Nutritional Services

The old adage "you are what you eat" is especially true for astronauts, and their diet is strictly monitored. Diet content and total calories are important factors for the high stress, high activity workload during flight. Easi personnel consult the crew on nutrition to develop meal plans as well as track the consumption and balance of the diet during flight.

These activities include:

• Dietary counseling
• Dietary tracking and analysis
• Complete nutritional assessment

Laboratory Support

No laboratory work begins without the equipment ready, the personnel trained, and the consumables on hand. At NASA, Easi personnel have years of experience in organizing laboratory work to provide an organized and cost efficient processing flow. By setting the stage for performance, Easi personnel allow scientists to do science.

Laboratory expertise includes:

• Microbial and mineral observation using scanning electron microscopy
• Microbial analysis of food, clinical, and environmental samples for bacterial, fungal, and viral contaminants
• Bacterial and fungal identification using either culture-based or molecular techniques
• Evaluation of the effects of environmental factors and disinfectants on microorganisms
• Preparation of oral and intravenous metabolic tracers
• Collection and processing of biological specimens
• Non-invasive determination of body composition
• Study coordination and implementation
• Biochemical analysis of biological samples and foods, including hormones, vitamins, minerals, amino acids and specialty proteins