We received financial support for our micro plate reader built project, and in order to test the ability for tardigrades in adapting extreme environments, we enhanced the function of our micro-plate reader to meet our goals. we modified the micro plate reader built based on the open source into an application-specific micro-plate reader that can simulate the atmospheric environment of Mars. The instrument enables us to test the stress resistance of Cyanobacteria in an environment to be as close as possible to the actual scene of Martian immigration. 

Images below shows the final product of our augmented micro-plate reader. 

on the top of the micro-plate reader, we added an incubation light that's suitable for Cyanobacteria growth, whenever we're testing the samples(the device is running), the light will be turned off automatically and turned back on when the reader is not running a program. 

On each side of the device, we annexed two tubes for the instillation of nitrogen gas and the extraction of oxygen as we are creating a vacuum space for the samples. ( this is a big part of our project since there's no oxygen on the mars)

Another major adjustment we made is the change of the micro-plate carrier, the new steel capsule allows the samples being protected from outer space as well as keeping it inside a vacuum space.