CAMbank: Urine Collection (v1) v1

This protocol describes the standardized collection of urine samples in both crude and nucleic acid–conditioned formats for molecular, biochemical, and metabolomic analyses. Participants void into sterile specimen containers, from which urine is processed within hours of collection. Two types of aliquots are prepared: (1) crude urine, stored directly at −80°C, and (2) conditioned urine, prepared by adding Zymo Urine Conditioning Buffer (UCB) prior to freezing to stabilize nucleic acids. Samples were aliquoted into 1 mL–15 mL tubes to minimize freeze–thaw cycles and shipped on dry ice to the Cornell Aerospace Medicine Biobank (CAMbank) for long-term storage at −80°C. This dual-format approach supports a broad range of downstream assays, including viral reactivation monitoring, hormone profiling (e.g., cortisol), mineral and electrolyte analysis, proteomics, telomere length measurement, and targeted or untargeted metabolomics. The method ensures sample integrity across diverse storage and transport conditions and aligns with the Space Omics and Medical Atlas (SOMA) initiative’s goal to standardize biospecimen handling for cross-mission comparability and astronaut health assessment.