Encyclopedia of Astrobiology

2011 Edition
| Editors: Muriel Gargaud, Ricardo Amils, José Cernicharo Quintanilla, Henderson James (Jim) CleavesII, William M. Irvine, Daniele L. Pinti, Michel Viso

Bioburden

Reference work entry
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-11274-4_165

Definition

In  planetary protection, the bioburden is the total amount of viable microorganisms sitting on the surface and inside a spacecraft. The bioburden is evaluated using  assays in or on items of interest. To evaluate or measure the bioburden, the assays can be standardized by specific procedures.

See also

Copyright information

© Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2011

Authors and Affiliations

  1. 1.NASA HeadquartersWashingtonUSA