CANEUS 2009 Workshops

Minoo Dastoor

NASA Headquarters, USA

Dr. Minoo N. Dastoor was born in Bombay, India where he was educated at St. Mary's High School. From the University of Bombay, he received a B.Sc. Degree in Chemistry (1960) and a B.Sc. (Tech) in Polymer Chemistry (1962) - both with First Class Honors. He immigrated to the United States in 1962 and received an M.S. in Polymer Chemistry from the Institute of Polymer Chemistry in Akron, Ohio. After working as a Research Chemist for Goodyear Research, Dr. Dastoor received a Ph.D. in Medical Microbiology and Immunology (1976) from the University of California School of Medicine (Los Angeles).

Dr. Dastoor joined the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in 1977 as Principal Investigator to design and build a prototype instrument which would detect virus particles using laser fluorescence spectroscopy. From 1978-1980, Minoo was sent as a Detailee to NASA Headquarters Life Science Division in Washington, D.C. where, in collaboration with Dr. Gerald Soffen (Director, NASA Life Sciences), he initiated the NASA Global Biology Program. The Program focus was to quantify, for the first time ever, the relationship of the Biota to the physical and chemical processes of Earth. In 1980, he returned to JPL as Lead Principal Investigator and Task Manager on the Global Biology as well as NASA's Bioenergy Programs.

In 1984, Dr. Dastoor became the Manager of the DOE Biocatalysis Project for which JPL was the National Lead center. Minoo's responsibility was to develop, direct, and implement a multi-disciplinary project which would explore the advances made in molecular biology and biochemistry for the synthesis of bulk chemicals. Concurrently, he was the Supervisor of the Biotechnology Group at JPL. The group's main focus was to address technical problems of importance to NASA (Space Radiation Effects, Advance Life Support Systems), DOD (Non-physiological Applications of Biomaterials) and DOE (Chemical and Biological Catalysis).

In 1989 Dr. Dastoor assumed responsibility as a Manager for Environmental and Biomedical Technology at JPL's Center for Space Microelectronics Technology. The thrust of his Program was the design, development and flight validation of microdevices and sensors for monitoring atmospheric constituents and for detection of life.

From 1999-01 Dr. Dastoor served as the Lead Technologist for the Human Exploration and Development of Space (NEDS) Enterprise. His specific assignment was to develop a major new NASA initiative for the Year 2000 which focused on the creation of advanced technologies derived from and inspired by Biology which would empower humans in space. In addition, he collaborated with the Office of Space Flight (Code M) in developing a technology requirements Plan for future human missions beyond Low Earth Orbit.