<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/" xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/" xmlns:georss="http://www.georss.org/georss" xmlns:geo="http://www.w3.org/2003/01/geo/wgs84_pos#" > <channel> <title>Sam Humphrey | Astrobotany.com</title> <atom:link href="https://astrobotany.com/author/sarahumphrey/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" /> <link>https://astrobotany.com</link> <description>Let's grow plants in space.</description> <lastBuildDate>Wed, 23 Aug 2023 16:02:42 +0000</lastBuildDate> <language>en-US</language> <sy:updatePeriod> hourly </sy:updatePeriod> <sy:updateFrequency> 1 </sy:updateFrequency> <generator>https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7.1</generator> <image> <url>https://astrobotany.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/cropped-abtractor3-scaled-1-32x32.jpg</url> <title>Sam Humphrey | Astrobotany.com</title> <link>https://astrobotany.com</link> <width>32</width> <height>32</height> </image> <site xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">188148303</site> <item> <title>Dr. Kent Kobayashi: Explosive Curiosity for Science</title> <link>https://astrobotany.com/dr-kent-kobayashi-explosive-curiosity-for-science/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=dr-kent-kobayashi-explosive-curiosity-for-science</link> <comments>https://astrobotany.com/dr-kent-kobayashi-explosive-curiosity-for-science/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Sam Humphrey]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Sun, 07 Mar 2021 00:54:38 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Interview]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://astrobotany.com/?p=4104</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>As part of our ongoing series of interviews with astrobotanists, I sat down with Dr. Kent Kobayashi to discuss his career. Decades ago, a young teenage boy crept into his aunts’ laundry room with a firecracker. He ran water into a sturdy concrete sink, filling it to the top. Carefully he cut a piece of […]</p> The post <a href="https://astrobotany.com/dr-kent-kobayashi-explosive-curiosity-for-science/">Dr. Kent Kobayashi: Explosive Curiosity for Science</a> first appeared on <a href="https://astrobotany.com">Astrobotany.com</a>.]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p id="block-e26a9a5c-a298-4087-846b-0d81e48b6f93"><em><br>As part of our ongoing series of interviews with astrobotanists, I sat down with Dr. Kent Kobayashi to discuss his career.</em></p><figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" width="1024" height="683" src="https://astrobotany.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/kobayashi-1-1-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-4097" srcset="https://astrobotany.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/kobayashi-1-1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://astrobotany.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/kobayashi-1-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://astrobotany.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/kobayashi-1-1-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure><p id="block-163510a4-0808-4107-a0ea-7a05b2ccaff6">Decades ago, a young teenage boy crept into his aunts’ laundry room with a firecracker. He ran water into a sturdy concrete sink, filling it to the top. Carefully he cut a piece of scotch tape and folded it over the fuse of the firecracker, creating a tight seal. This was one of Kent Kobayashi’s <em>first</em> science experiments, and the first time he had ever tried making an underwater bomb. He lit the fuse and dropped the lit firecracker into the water, stepping back to make some distance. The firecracker exploded, but its effects were underwhelming, only loosening the rubber stopper at the bottom of the sink. A true scientist, Kobayashi ran his experiment again. To his horror, the second explosion was stronger than the first, splitting a large crack across his aunts’ concrete sink.</p><p id="block-ede5e3ce-0787-4afd-a7b1-644abe217fe8">Dr. Kent Kobayashi has grown to be wiser in the decades since his first experiment, but he still exercises his curiosity today. Now an established researcher, he joined me on Zoom to share his experiences and life philosophies. He is charming and polite, with a soft voice and a penchant for telling humorous stories. He is quick to laugh, and seemed delighted to share his wisdom about life and about his experiences with astrobotany.</p><p id="block-c877d695-b6b6-4f46-be9b-687064a41b26">Dr. Kobayashi is a research scientist and an associate professor at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, and he is a Fellow of the American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS). Though he is an ‘established’ researcher, he has had an atypical career, largely due to his insatiable curiosity. As a child he captured and raised insects, but during graduate school he came to realize that his love for insects was not enough for a lifelong career. He quickly pivoted from insects to agricultural weeds, where he suddenly was immersed in the study of plants. After graduation, his mentor asked him to join the horticulture PhD program at Oregon State University, and again Kobayashi had to learn many new things: how to do mathematical modeling and how to conduct experiments on plant dormancy and cold hardiness (something he never dealt with at his home in Hawai’i). Though these were difficult years, Kobayashi found joy in his exploration of new ideas, and his curiosity only grew.</p><p id="block-4327e0b6-e106-4034-a25a-e470aa3e30b3">After earning his PhD, Dr. Kobayashi became a researcher at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, where he still works today. Where many researchers focus on a specific crop for their whole career, Kobayashi enjoys exploring new ideas. He studied fruit trees for 20 years, then pivoted to orchids. His orchid research was especially novel: he wanted to discover how orchids grow and develop differently under different colors of light. He was curious about how the light color spectrum can be manipulated to improve orchid farming.</p><p id="block-4ae2f085-a4fb-4942-94bc-0473a70fbe47">In the summer of 2007, Dr. Kobayashi’s research goals changed forever. He was attending the national American Society for Horticultural Sciences conference in Arizona when he reached out to Dr. Ray Wheeler, an astrobotanist at the Kennedy Space Center. To his delight, Dr. Wheeler invited him to a private tour of NASA’s crop production facilities the next year. Kobayashi vividly recalls the awe and excitement he felt, seeing the astrobotany experiments with colorful lights, complex hydroponics, and cutting-edge technology. This trip fueled his curiosity long after he returned to Hawai’i. He was captivated with the thought of space plant research, and he soon began conducting his own astrobotany research with leafy greens, hydroponics, and grow lights.</p><figure class="wp-block-image is-resized" id="block-b96babf1-077e-4764-9dae-98a460ecaadc"><img decoding="async" src="https://astrobotany.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/kobayashi-plants-768x1024.jpg" alt="This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is kobayashi-plants-768x1024.jpg" width="559" height="745"/></figure><p id="block-08b7be07-85a5-4c5a-90b9-565be4f8e00f">Alongside his astrobotany-related research Kobayashi enjoys exploring astrobotany with a diverse array of students. In 2013 and 2014 he mentored groups of high school girl scouts, who sent plant experiments to the International Space Station. He helped them design hydroponics systems to keep their plants alive in space—with the plants, lights, and hydroponics enclosed in a tiny capsule the size of a twinkie. He went on to mentor mechanical engineering college students as they built the BoxFarm, a growth chamber with a robotic arm designed to grow plants on Earth or on another planet. Kobayashi has also been conducting research with undergraduate students, with topics like using <a href="https://astrobotany.com/regolith-simulant/">simulated Martian soil</a> to grow crops, or using <a href="https://manoa.hawaii.edu/kaunana/undergraduate-researches-how-to-grow-plants-in-space/">novel lighting techniques</a> to grow plants more efficiently. With these projects he hopes to inspire young scientists to be curious about astrobotany, and he encourages them to continue exploring and thinking outside of the box.</p><figure class="wp-block-image is-resized" id="block-78603838-d8f0-45d9-a723-715719e434c4"><img decoding="async" src="https://astrobotany.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/kobayashi-students-1024x1024.jpg" alt="This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is kobayashi-students-1024x1024.jpg" width="568" height="568"/></figure><p id="block-52300648-aed0-4448-8684-9d6e4fb7668b">Dr. Kobayashi smiles as he thinks back to the times when he started over: when he pivoted from insects to plants, from fruits to orchids, and from orchids to astrobotany. Exploring new topics fills him with the same joy he felt in graduate school—the excitement of trying new experiments, meeting new people, and exploring the things that spark his curiosity. Although he has come a long way since he cracked his aunts’ sink, his vibrant curiosity remains.</p><p id="block-79a73ad7-f629-4360-899a-f7afca5b6f63">After we laughed together about his many stories and how far he has come, Dr. Kobayashi described his life philosophy. He smiled warmly as he told me:</p><p id="block-5f5af0a9-c0e5-4eae-b2dc-81f2a6098cef">In astrobotany, and in all other areas of your life, stay curious!</p><div style="height:15px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div><script data-ad-client="ca-pub-4857359479760947" async="" src="https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script>The post <a href="https://astrobotany.com/dr-kent-kobayashi-explosive-curiosity-for-science/">Dr. Kent Kobayashi: Explosive Curiosity for Science</a> first appeared on <a href="https://astrobotany.com">Astrobotany.com</a>.]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://astrobotany.com/dr-kent-kobayashi-explosive-curiosity-for-science/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">4104</post-id> </item> <item> <title>Why not use sunlight?</title> <link>https://astrobotany.com/why-not-use-sunlight/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=why-not-use-sunlight</link> <comments>https://astrobotany.com/why-not-use-sunlight/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Sam Humphrey]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Sat, 20 Feb 2021 14:08:11 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[experiments]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://astrobotany.com/?p=4019</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>Plants need light to live and grow, and it takes a lot of energy to grow plants using man-made light fixtures. So why don’t we use sunlight instead? TIC-TOC Experiment under Optimal Lighting | Image Credit: Gilroy Lab Why don’t we use sunlight to grow plants on the International Space Station? Engineering challenges Windows take […]</p> The post <a href="https://astrobotany.com/why-not-use-sunlight/">Why not use sunlight?</a> first appeared on <a href="https://astrobotany.com">Astrobotany.com</a>.]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<div data-elementor-type="wp-post" data-elementor-id="4019" class="elementor elementor-4019" data-elementor-post-type="post"> <section class="elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-2811c6b6 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default" data-id="2811c6b6" data-element_type="section"> <div class="elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default"> <div class="elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-5a9e1767" data-id="5a9e1767" data-element_type="column"> <div class="elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated"> <div class="elementor-element elementor-element-66c4580 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading" data-id="66c4580" data-element_type="widget" data-widget_type="heading.default"> <div class="elementor-widget-container"> <h2 class="elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default">Plants need light to live and grow, and it takes a lot of energy to grow plants using man-made light fixtures. So why don’t we use sunlight instead?</h2> </div> </div> <div class="elementor-element elementor-element-f050116 elementor-widget-divider--view-line elementor-widget elementor-widget-divider" data-id="f050116" data-element_type="widget" data-widget_type="divider.default"> <div class="elementor-widget-container"> <div class="elementor-divider"> <span class="elementor-divider-separator"> </span> </div> </div> </div> <div class="elementor-element elementor-element-79e6d9d elementor-widget elementor-widget-image" data-id="79e6d9d" data-element_type="widget" data-widget_type="image.default"> <div class="elementor-widget-container"> <figure class="wp-caption"> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="873" height="580" src="https://astrobotany.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/jsc2021e010332-3.jpg" class="attachment-large size-large wp-image-4818" alt="" srcset="https://astrobotany.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/jsc2021e010332-3.jpg 873w, https://astrobotany.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/jsc2021e010332-3-300x199.jpg 300w, https://astrobotany.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/jsc2021e010332-3-768x510.jpg 768w, https://astrobotany.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/jsc2021e010332-3-600x399.jpg 600w, https://astrobotany.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/jsc2021e010332-3-272x182.jpg 272w" sizes="(max-width: 873px) 100vw, 873px" /> <figcaption class="widget-image-caption wp-caption-text">TIC-TOC Experiment under Optimal Lighting | Image Credit: Gilroy Lab</figcaption> </figure> </div> </div> <div class="elementor-element elementor-element-589717c elementor-widget-divider--view-line elementor-widget elementor-widget-divider" data-id="589717c" data-element_type="widget" data-widget_type="divider.default"> <div class="elementor-widget-container"> <div class="elementor-divider"> <span class="elementor-divider-separator"> </span> </div> </div> </div> <div class="elementor-element elementor-element-03d947a elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading" data-id="03d947a" data-element_type="widget" data-widget_type="heading.default"> <div class="elementor-widget-container"> <h2 class="elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default">Why don’t we use sunlight to grow plants on the International Space Station?</h2> </div> </div> <div class="elementor-element elementor-element-1b9f3fdd elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor" data-id="1b9f3fdd" data-element_type="widget" data-widget_type="text-editor.default"> <div class="elementor-widget-container"> <p></p> <table style="font-size: 16px;"> <tbody> <tr> <td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">Engineering challenges</td> <td>Windows take a lot of time, effort, and money to design and build in space. They are not worth the cost, given the availability and low cost other lighting options.</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center"><br />No long periods<br />of darkness<br /><br /></td> <td>The ISS orbits the Earth, so it receives daylight for 45 minutes and darkness for 45 minutes. Plants have a circadian rhythm, and need long periods of darkness for their metabolism to function properly.</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">Flexibility</td> <td>In 2017, NASA decided to send a second Veggie unit to the ISS. Adding a second Veggie would have been much more difficult if we had to modify the ISS to let in more sunlight. Using lighting technology allows us much more flexibility in what we design and where we place it in the vehicle.</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p></p> <p><!-- /wp:list --><!-- wp:paragraph --></p> <p><!-- /wp:paragraph --></p> </div> </div> <div class="elementor-element elementor-element-4802d1e elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading" data-id="4802d1e" data-element_type="widget" data-widget_type="heading.default"> <div class="elementor-widget-container"> <h2 class="elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default">Why don't we use sunlight to grow plants on Mars or the Moon?</h2> </div> </div> <div class="elementor-element elementor-element-f3faa2b elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor" data-id="f3faa2b" data-element_type="widget" data-widget_type="text-editor.default"> <div class="elementor-widget-container"> <p><!-- wp:paragraph --><!-- /wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:image {"align":"center","id":4020,"width":580,"height":589,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --></p> <figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-large is-resized"></figure> <p><!-- /wp:image --><!-- wp:heading --></p> <p><!-- /wp:heading --><!-- wp:table {"className":"is-style-regular"} --></p> <figure class="wp-block-table is-style-regular"> <table> <tbody> <tr> <td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">Engineering challenges</td> <td>Windows take a lot of time, effort, and money to design and build in space. They are not worth the cost, given the availability and low cost other lighting options.</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center"><span class="has-inline-color has-ast-global-color-8-color">iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii</span><br />Inadequate light intensity<br /><span class="has-inline-color has-ast-global-color-8-color">iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiIIIIiii</span></td> <td>Mars is much farther from the sun than Earth, so it receives less than half as much sunlight as on Earth. This means plants will grow more slowly, and won’t make as much food.</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">Extended<br />day length</td> <td>One moon day is about 29.5 Earth days long, so a lunar base would get about 2 weeks of nonstop sunlight followed by 2 weeks of darkness. This would inhibit plant growth. In comparison, Mars days are about 25 hours long, very close to our 24-hour days on Earth.</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">Flexibility</td> <td>Using lighting technology allows us much more flexibility in the environments we design and where we place the plant growth chambers.</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </figure> <p><!-- /wp:table --><!-- wp:heading --></p> <p><!-- /wp:list-item --></p> <p><!-- /wp:list --><!-- wp:paragraph --></p> <p><!-- /wp:paragraph --></p> </div> </div> <div class="elementor-element elementor-element-dbcfbb8 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading" data-id="dbcfbb8" data-element_type="widget" data-widget_type="heading.default"> <div class="elementor-widget-container"> <h2 class="elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default">History of Grow Lights</h2> </div> </div> <div class="elementor-element elementor-element-5e55f01 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor" data-id="5e55f01" data-element_type="widget" data-widget_type="text-editor.default"> <div class="elementor-widget-container"> <p>People have been using light bulbs to grow plants since 1861. For the past 50 years researchers primarily used high pressure sodium (HPS) lamps, but these are not well suited for growing plants in space, since they’re bulky and emit a lot of excess heat. In the search for space-age grow lights, scientists considered incandescent lamps, fluorescent lights, and other types of bulbs, but these options were too short-lived, inefficient, or potentially dangerous for continuous use in spaceflight. Astrobotanists needed a better lighting option, and eventually they found LEDs.</p> </div> </div> <div class="elementor-element elementor-element-9be9704 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading" data-id="9be9704" data-element_type="widget" data-widget_type="heading.default"> <div class="elementor-widget-container"> <h2 class="elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default">LED Grow Lights for Astrobotany</h2> </div> </div> <div class="elementor-element elementor-element-0773371 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor" data-id="0773371" data-element_type="widget" data-widget_type="text-editor.default"> <div class="elementor-widget-container"> <p><strong>Light emitting diode (LED)</strong> technology isn’t new—in fact LEDs have been in development since 1939—but LEDs weren’t used to grow plants until NASA researchers studied them for astrobotany. In the early 1990’s the NASA Research Partnership Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison tested LEDs for plant lighting, which led NASA scientists to publish some of the first papers on LED-based grow lights. LEDs are well-suited for spaceflight—they are energy efficient, long-lasting, lightweight, and emit very little heat. NASA’s development of LED grow lights in the name of astrobotany has benefitted many plant-related industries around the world.</p> </div> </div> <div class="elementor-element elementor-element-19e093c elementor-widget elementor-widget-image" data-id="19e093c" data-element_type="widget" data-widget_type="image.default"> <div class="elementor-widget-container"> <figure class="wp-caption"> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="670" src="https://astrobotany.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/ISS_1-scaled-e1692806438147-1024x670.jpg" class="attachment-large size-large wp-image-9885" alt="" srcset="https://astrobotany.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/ISS_1-scaled-e1692806438147-1024x670.jpg 1024w, https://astrobotany.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/ISS_1-scaled-e1692806438147-300x196.jpg 300w, https://astrobotany.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/ISS_1-scaled-e1692806438147-768x503.jpg 768w, https://astrobotany.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/ISS_1-scaled-e1692806438147-1536x1006.jpg 1536w, https://astrobotany.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/ISS_1-scaled-e1692806438147-2048x1341.jpg 2048w, https://astrobotany.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/ISS_1-scaled-e1692806438147-600x393.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /> <figcaption class="widget-image-caption wp-caption-text">Sunrise behind the ISS</figcaption> </figure> </div> </div> <div class="elementor-element elementor-element-bd854a6 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading" data-id="bd854a6" data-element_type="widget" data-widget_type="heading.default"> <div class="elementor-widget-container"> <h2 class="elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default">Why use LEDs instead of sunlight?</h2> </div> </div> <div class="elementor-element elementor-element-5b5aad7 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor" data-id="5b5aad7" data-element_type="widget" data-widget_type="text-editor.default"> <div class="elementor-widget-container"> <p>We currently use LEDs to grow plants on the International Space Station in the <a href="https://astrobotany.com/optimal-lighting-for-plants-in-space/">Veggie and Advanced Plant Habitat</a>. When we look to the future, we will probably continue to use LEDs to grow plants in space, since LEDs are much more reliable than sunlight in the context of space travel. Developments in LED technology are also making them more efficient, so growing plants under LEDs is much cheaper than it was 10 years ago. Still, growing plants under LEDs takes a lot of energy, so scientists are still considering ways to add supplemental sunlight to future space growth chambers. NASA researchers and scientists at the University of Arizona are considering <strong>fiber optic technology</strong> to see if they can concentrate sunlight and deliver it to the plants without the complicated engineering of building windows in spacecraft. </p> <p><!-- /wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:paragraph --></p> <p>There’s no promise that fiber optics will work in space, but perhaps this technology could make it easier for us to grow plants indoors on Earth. Developments like fiber optics are part of the reason that many people find astrobotany so exciting: astrobotanists collaborate with diverse teams to design cutting-edge technology that will change the way humans live and work in space <em>and</em> on Earth.</p> </div> </div> <div class="elementor-element elementor-element-a3ea5bd elementor-widget-divider--view-line elementor-widget elementor-widget-divider" data-id="a3ea5bd" data-element_type="widget" data-widget_type="divider.default"> <div class="elementor-widget-container"> <div class="elementor-divider"> <span class="elementor-divider-separator"> </span> </div> </div> </div> <div class="elementor-element elementor-element-0d5235d elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading" data-id="0d5235d" data-element_type="widget" data-widget_type="heading.default"> <div class="elementor-widget-container"> <h2 class="elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default">References</h2> </div> </div> <div class="elementor-element elementor-element-d674281 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor" data-id="d674281" data-element_type="widget" data-widget_type="text-editor.default"> <div class="elementor-widget-container"> <ul> <li><a href="https://www.nasa.gov/centers/johnson/pdf/569954main_astronaut%20_FAQ.pdf">Astronauts Answer Student Questions</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1425852/">Plant Circadian Rhythms</a></li> <li><a href="https://growersnetwork.org/industry/a-brief-history-of-grow-lighting-part-one/#:~:text=The%20first%20recorded%20incident%20electrical,that%20can't%20speak%20French">A Brief History Of Grow Lighting – Part One</a></li> <li><a href="https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2008cosp...37.1940M/abstract">Innovations in LED lighting for reduced-ESM crop production in space</a></li> <li><a href="https://spinoff.nasa.gov/Spinoff2018/cg_7.html">NASA Spinoff: High-Efficiency LEDs Grow Crops, Stimulate Alertness</a></li> <li><a href="https://archive.curbed.com/2017/4/26/15432860/nasa-greenhouse-mars-university-of-arizona">NASA designs an inflatable greenhouse for Mars</a></li> <li><a title="https://science.howstuffworks.com/what-do-day-and-night-look-like-on-moon.htm" href="https://science.howstuffworks.com/what-do-day-and-night-look-like-on-moon.htm">What Are Days and Nights Like on the Moon?</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/9-12/features/F_How_Far_How_Faint.html">NASA: How Far? How Faint?</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> <div class="elementor-element elementor-element-6c70447 elementor-widget-divider--view-line elementor-widget elementor-widget-divider" data-id="6c70447" data-element_type="widget" data-widget_type="divider.default"> <div class="elementor-widget-container"> <div class="elementor-divider"> <span class="elementor-divider-separator"> </span> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </section> </div>The post <a href="https://astrobotany.com/why-not-use-sunlight/">Why not use sunlight?</a> first appeared on <a href="https://astrobotany.com">Astrobotany.com</a>.]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://astrobotany.com/why-not-use-sunlight/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">4019</post-id> </item> <item> <title>Parabolic Flights</title> <link>https://astrobotany.com/parabolic-flights/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=parabolic-flights</link> <comments>https://astrobotany.com/parabolic-flights/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Sam Humphrey]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Tue, 09 Feb 2021 00:51:19 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://astrobotany.com/?p=3933</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>Parabolic flights (often called “vomit comet” flights) provide an analog platform for microgravity research. Essentially, a  reduced-gravity aircraft flies upward, then it curves like a parabola and flies downward so fast that the people and equipment inside experience microgravity for less than 30 seconds. This brief period of weightlessness allows researchers time to do experiments, […]</p> The post <a href="https://astrobotany.com/parabolic-flights/">Parabolic Flights</a> first appeared on <a href="https://astrobotany.com">Astrobotany.com</a>.]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>Parabolic flights</strong> (often called “vomit comet” flights) provide an analog platform for microgravity research. Essentially, a reduced-gravity aircraft flies upward, then it curves like a parabola and flies downward so fast that the people and equipment inside experience microgravity for less than 30 seconds. This brief period of weightlessness allows researchers time to do experiments, though they have to work very fast to get them done in just a few seconds!</p><div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://astrobotany.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/33-LG-1024x485.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-3935" width="664" height="314" srcset="https://astrobotany.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/33-LG-1024x485.jpg 1024w, https://astrobotany.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/33-LG-300x142.jpg 300w, https://astrobotany.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/33-LG-768x364.jpg 768w, https://astrobotany.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/33-LG-600x284.jpg 600w, https://astrobotany.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/33-LG.jpg 1175w" sizes="(max-width: 664px) 100vw, 664px" /></figure></div><p>Astrobotanists Dr. Robert Ferl and Dr. Anna-Lisa Paul have flown experiments on many parabolic flights. They run the Space Plants Lab at the University of Florida, where they study the genetics of how plants respond to spaceflight. While 30 seconds might not seem like enough time for plants to sense and respond to microgravity, these astrobotanists have special technology to watch plants’ responses at a cellular level. Dr. Ferl and Dr. Paul use marker genes and imaging tools to watch the plants respond in real time. With chemical treatments they sometimes also preserve the plants during freefall, so they can examine those plants’ responses once they’ve landed. Ferl and Paul’s genetic research gives us insight into how we can grow plants in microgravity, and how we can genetically alter space plants to be better adapted to the spaceflight environment.</p><p>Parabolic flights are used for hardware testing too, but most hardware experiments are related to humans, not plants. Unlike drop towers, parabolic flights allow crew members to manually operate the experiments. While plant-related hardware can be tested in parabolic flights, these flights aren’t used for large crop experiments because 30 seconds is not long enough for plants to grow or develop in microgravity. Parabolic flights are much better suited to experiments like those from Dr. Ferl and Dr. Paul, who study plant cells and genetics.</p><p>There are many ways to study how plants react to space-like conditions without actually sending plants to space. Check out other ground-based research tools like <a href="https://astrobotany.com/clinostat/">clinostats</a>, analog <a href="https://astrobotany.com/arthur-clarke-mars-greenhouse-acmg/">Mars greenhouses</a>, and <a href="https://astrobotany.com/regolith-simulant/">regolith simulant</a>.</p><div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://astrobotany.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Parabolic-Ferl-Paul-1.png" alt="" class="wp-image-3936" width="740" height="391" srcset="https://astrobotany.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Parabolic-Ferl-Paul-1.png 996w, https://astrobotany.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Parabolic-Ferl-Paul-1-300x158.png 300w, https://astrobotany.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Parabolic-Ferl-Paul-1-768x406.png 768w, https://astrobotany.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Parabolic-Ferl-Paul-1-600x317.png 600w" sizes="(max-width: 740px) 100vw, 740px" /><figcaption><span style="color:#a0a0a0" class="has-inline-color">Dr. Ferl and Dr. Paul studying plants in freefall.</span></figcaption></figure></div><h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>References:</strong></h2><ul class="wp-block-list"><li><a href="https://www.embopress.org/doi/full/10.15252/embr.201948541">Microgravity research in plants</a></li><li><a href="http://www.parabolicarc.com/2020/02/01/a-case-for-durational-research-space-plants-co-investigators-robert-ferl-and-anna-lisa-paul/">A Case for Durational Research: Space Plants Co-Investigators Robert Ferl and Anna-Lisa Paul</a></li><li><a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/51693134_Parabolic_Flight_Induces_Changes_in_Gene_Expression_Patterns_in_Arabidopsis_thaliana">Parabolic Flight Induces Changes in Gene Expression Patterns in <em>Arabidopsis thaliana</em></a></li><li><a href="https://www.esa.int/esapub/bulletin/bullet82/plet82.htm">Microgravity Research During Aircraft Parabolic Flights: The 20 ESA Campaigns</a></li><li><a href="https://lsda.jsc.nasa.gov/lsda_data/dataset_inv_data/IST_C9__370224501.pdf_EPSP_IST_C9_2012_53_050204.pdf">Final Report of the Integrated Parabolic Flight Test: Effects of Varying Gravity, Center of Gravity, and Mass on the Movement Biomechanics and Operator Compensation of Ambulation and Exploration Tasks</a></li><li><a href="https://portal.nifa.usda.gov/web/crisprojectpages/0211142-transgenic-plant-biomonitors-or-spaceflight-exposure.html">Transgenic Plant Biomonitors Or Spaceflight Exposure</a></li></ul><script data-ad-client="ca-pub-4857359479760947" async="" src="https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script>The post <a href="https://astrobotany.com/parabolic-flights/">Parabolic Flights</a> first appeared on <a href="https://astrobotany.com">Astrobotany.com</a>.]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://astrobotany.com/parabolic-flights/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">3933</post-id> </item> <item> <title>astrobotany interviews</title> <link>https://astrobotany.com/astrobotany-interviews/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=astrobotany-interviews</link> <comments>https://astrobotany.com/astrobotany-interviews/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Sam Humphrey]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Wed, 23 Dec 2020 14:01:29 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://astrobotany.com/?p=3835</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>This page includes all interviews we’ve conducted at astrobotany.com, and all interviews we’ve found from other sources. If you know of any interviews not listed on this page, please tell us on our contact page. our interviews Dr. Oscar Monje: coming soon! Dr. Kent Kobayashi: Explosive Curiosity for Science (2021) Dr. Gioia Massa: Growing Generations […]</p> The post <a href="https://astrobotany.com/astrobotany-interviews/">astrobotany interviews</a> first appeared on <a href="https://astrobotany.com">Astrobotany.com</a>.]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>This page includes all interviews we’ve conducted at astrobotany.com, and all interviews we’ve found from other sources. If you know of any interviews not listed on this page, please tell us on our <a href="https://astrobotany.com/contact/">contact page</a>.</p><h3 class="wp-block-heading">our interviews</h3><ul class="wp-block-list"><li>Dr. Oscar Monje: coming soon!</li><li><a href="https://astrobotany.com/2021/03/06/dr-kent-kobayashi-explosive-curiosity-for-science/">Dr. Kent Kobayashi: Explosive Curiosity for Science</a> (2021)</li><li><a href="https://astrobotany.com/2018/07/02/dr-gioia-massa-growing-generations-of-plant-scientists/">Dr. Gioia Massa: Growing Generations of Plant Scientists</a> (2018)</li><li><a href="https://astrobotany.com/2018/01/08/dr-ray-wheeler-pt1/">A Pillar of Space Agriculture: Dr. Raymond Wheeler</a> (2018)</li><li><a href="https://astrobotany.com/2017/10/27/simon-gilroy-interview-by-savana-lipps/">An Interview with Dr. Simon Gilroy, Astrobotanist</a> (2017)</li></ul><h3 class="wp-block-heading">interviews from other sources</h3><ul class="wp-block-list"><li>Check out the <a href="https://theunconventionalgardener.com/blog/category/podcast/">Gardeners of the Galaxy Podcast</a> for many astrobotany interviews! Our top picks are below.<ul><li><a href="https://theunconventionalgardener.com/blog/gardeners-of-the-galaxy-episode-13/">Karl Hasenstein</a> (2020)</li><li><a href="https://theunconventionalgardener.com/blog/gardeners-of-the-galaxy-episode-13/">Gioia Massa</a> (2020)</li><li><a href="https://theunconventionalgardener.com/blog/gardeners-of-the-galaxy-episode-9/">Javier Medina</a> (2020)</li><li><a href="https://theunconventionalgardener.com/blog/gardeners-of-the-galaxy-episode-5/">John Kiss</a> (2020)</li></ul></li><li><strong>Anna Lisa Paul and Rob Ferl</strong>: <a href="https://astrobotany.com/archive-uf-space-plants-reddit-ask-me-anything/">Reddit Ask Me Anything</a> (2020)</li><li><strong>John Kiss</strong>: <a href="https://www.interplanetary.org.uk/post/191-john-kiss-to-boldly-grow">Interplanetary Podcast: #191 – John Kiss – To Boldly Grow</a> (2020)</li><li><strong>Nicol Caplin</strong>: <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/nicol-caplin-discusses-ionising-radiation-plants-in/id1255437811?i=1000478314606">GARNet UK Plant Science Roundup Podcast: Nicol Caplin discusses ionising radiation and plants in space!</a> (2020)</li><li><strong>Matthew Lehmitz</strong>: <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/future-of-plants-in-space-plant-sat/id1510189368?i=1000472664461">Future Imminent Podcast: Future of Plants in Space – Plant Sat</a> (2020)</li><li><strong>Ralph Fritsche, Jess Bunchek, Lashelle Spencer, Jacob Torres, and Gioia Massa</strong>: <a href="https://astrobotany.com/archive-nasa-crop-production-reddit-ask-me-anything/">Reddit Ask Me Anything</a> (2019)</li><li><strong>Rob Ferl</strong>: <a href="https://soundcloud.com/alltech-1/115-zero-gravity-ops-in-crops-dr-robert-ferl">Ag Future: Innovation in Agri-Food Podcast: #115: Zero-gravity ops in crops – Dr. Robert Ferl</a> (2019)</li><li><strong>Ray Wheeler</strong>: <a href="https://aggrad.libsyn.com/farming-in-space-with-dr-ray-wheeler-of-nasa">Future of Agriculture Podcast: FOA 167: Farming in Space with Dr Ray Wheeler of NASA</a> (2019)</li><li><strong>Simon Gilroy</strong>: <a href="https://play.acast.com/s/room104/howdoyouwaterplantsinspace-simongilroyexplains">Room 104 Podcast With Cormac Moore and Saoirse Long: How Do You Water Plants In Space? Simon Gilroy Explains</a> (2019)</li><li><strong>Simon Gilroy</strong>: <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1p_ttzAwEtyZhiJHf5Fy0z9Z5pzn_vy4GpGZTrSQKSqc/edit">The Taproot Podcast: S3E5: Simon Says: Captivate the public with snazzy videos of plant defense, send plants to space, and embrace curiosity-driven science</a> (2019)</li><li><strong>Mike Dixon</strong>: <a href="https://prof-talks.com/2019/03/29/mike-dixon/">Growing Crops & Recycling Waste in Space</a> (2019)</li><li><strong>Simon Gilroy</strong>: <a href="https://edgeeffects.net/simon-gilroy/">Edge Effects Podcast: Gardening in Outer Space: A Conversation with Simon Gilroy</a> (2018)</li><li><strong>Rob Ferl</strong>: <a href="https://www.indefenseofplants.com/podcast/2018/4/22/ep-157-plants-in-space">In Defense of Plants Podcast: Ep. 157 – Plants in Space</a> (2018)</li><li><strong>Matt Bamsey</strong>: <a href="https://soundcloud.com/spaceq/episode-15-matt-bamsey-talks-safe-food-production-in-space-and-his-astronaut-recruitment-experience">SpaceQ Podcast: Episode 15: Matt Bamsey Talks Safe Food Production in Space and His Astronaut Recruitment Experience</a> (2017)</li><li><strong>Gary Stutte</strong>: <a href="https://www.producegrower.com/video/gary-stutte-plants-in-space/">The Hort Report Podcast: ICCEA 2017: Growing plants in space</a> (2017)</li><li><strong>Gioia Massa</strong>: <a href="https://hortamericas.com/blog/voices-of-horticulture-dr-gioia-massa/">Hort Americas’ Voices of Horticulture: Dr. Gioia Massa, NASA</a> (2017)</li><li><strong>Gioia Massa and Melissa Jones</strong>: <a href="https://www.npr.org/programs/ask-me-another/478732389/mike-rowe-and-nasa-scientists-dirty-jobs-in-spaaace">Mike Rowe And NASA Scientists: Dirty Jobs In Spaaace!</a> (2016)</li></ul><script data-ad-client="ca-pub-4857359479760947" async="" src="https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script>The post <a href="https://astrobotany.com/astrobotany-interviews/">astrobotany interviews</a> first appeared on <a href="https://astrobotany.com">Astrobotany.com</a>.]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://astrobotany.com/astrobotany-interviews/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">3835</post-id> </item> <item> <title>Let’s Grow Beans in Space!</title> <link>https://astrobotany.com/lets-grow-beans-in-space/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=lets-grow-beans-in-space</link> <comments>https://astrobotany.com/lets-grow-beans-in-space/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Sam Humphrey]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Mon, 31 Aug 2020 23:04:45 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://astrobotany.com/?p=3636</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>Although they seem like normal, everyday plants, beans have a hidden superpower that could make them indispensable crops for spaceflight. What makes them special? Beans, peas, and the other members of the family Fabaceae are called legumes, and many legumes are able to do something that other plants can’t: they can make root nodules. Essentially, […]</p> The post <a href="https://astrobotany.com/lets-grow-beans-in-space/">Let’s Grow Beans in Space!</a> first appeared on <a href="https://astrobotany.com">Astrobotany.com</a>.]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Although they seem like normal, everyday plants, <strong>beans</strong> have a hidden superpower that could make them indispensable crops for spaceflight.</p><div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="683" src="https://astrobotany.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/beancups-1024x683.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-3657" srcset="https://astrobotany.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/beancups-1024x683.jpeg 1024w, https://astrobotany.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/beancups-300x200.jpeg 300w, https://astrobotany.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/beancups-768x513.jpeg 768w, https://astrobotany.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/beancups-600x400.jpeg 600w, https://astrobotany.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/beancups-272x182.jpeg 272w, https://astrobotany.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/beancups.jpeg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption><sub>credit: <a href="https://unsplash.com/@bkcloading">Kien Cuong Bui</a></sub></figcaption></figure></div><h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>What makes them special?</strong></h3><p>Beans, peas, and the other members of the family Fabaceae are called <strong>legumes</strong>, and many legumes are able to do something that other plants can’t: they can make <strong>root nodules</strong>. Essentially, root nodules form when root cells send out chemical signals to attract bacteria, the bacteria enter the root cells, and the root forms a special “nodule” of root tissue around the bacteria. The root nodule provides everything the bacteria need to survive (like oxygen and sugar), and in return the bacteria produce nitrogenase, a form of nitrogen that plants can absorb. Nitrogen is abundant in the air, but most organisms cannot use it in this gaseous form—only nitrogen-fixing organisms like these bacteria can fix nitrogen into an organic form that other organisms (like plants and animals) can use. Nitrogen is one of the primary nutrients that all organisms need to survive, and is a key component of fertilizers. Legumes don’t need to be fertilized with nitrogen as often as non-legumes, which could make legumes even more useful as space crops.</p><div style="height:33px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div><h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Legumes in Space</strong></h3><p>Although legumes are vital to global agriculture, we’ve only grown legumes in space a handful of times. Around 1980, pea seedlings were grown in the Oasis 1AM to study the organelles in the meristem and root cap. Between 2003 and 2005, Russian cosmonauts grew pea plants in LADA to study pea growth, development, and genetic status in space. Astronauts grew soybean briefly in the ADVASC, and lentils in the EMCS. Several other studies have examined legume seeds that were sent into space but were germinated back on Earth.</p><div style="height:20px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div><p>Unfortunately, none of these experiments examined root nodulation in space. This is a problem because the astronauts and plants on long-duration missions will need nitrogen to survive, and chemical nitrogen fixation is too energy-intensive to be feasible. Mining minerals from the Moon and Mars wouldn’t solve this problem either—we’ve found all essential minerals for plants in lunar and martian soils <em>except reactive nitrogen</em>. In order to address the gap in legume research, a group called Magnitude.io is planning to send a legume to space, with the help of school-age children across the world. They will send their space plant growth chamber, ExoLab-8, to the ISS in February of 2021, and k-12 classrooms across the world are conducting their own ground trials to prepare for the mission. Not only is Magnitude.io preparing to address the gap in legume research, but they’re also helping children learn about astrobotany and contribute to real-life research.</p><div style="height:20px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div><p>A few previous studies indicate that nitrogen-fixing bacteria can bind to roots and start developing nodules in microgravity, so legumes will probably be able to develop nodules next February. But until we see the results of Magnitude.io’s experiment, many questions will remain unanswered. Please keep your eye out in spring of 2021 to learn the results of this research! Studying legume root nodules on the ISS will bring us a few steps closer to the next goalpost: growing enough food crops to feed astronauts on the journey to Mars.</p><p>Let’s grow beans in space!</p><div style="height:20px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div><hr class="wp-block-separator"/><p><strong>References</strong></p><ul class="wp-block-list"><li><a href="https://europepmc.org/article/med/16536032" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Growth, development and genetic status of pea plants cultivated in space greenhouse “LADA”</a></li><li><a href="http://en.cnki.com.cn/Article_en/CJFDTotal-KJKB6S1.024.htm" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Influences Of Space Condition On Three Legume Forages</a></li><li><a href="https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=19830023012" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ultrastructure of meristem and root cap of pea seedlings under spaceflight conditions</a></li><li><a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12217-018-9619-4" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Impact of Simulated Microgravity on the Growth of Different Genotypes of the Model Legume Plant <em>Medicago truncatula</em></a></li><li><a href="https://www.nature.com/scitable/knowledge/library/the-nitrogen-cycle-processes-players-and-human-15644632/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Nitrogen Cycle: Processes, Players, and Human Impact</a></li><li><a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0103138" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Can Plants Grow on Mars and the Moon: A Growth Experiment on Mars and Moon Soil Simulants</a></li><li><a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0273117794904014" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Clover development during spaceflight: A model system</a></li><li><a href="https://astrobotany.com/2020/04/18/help-choose-the-right-legume-for-space/">Help Choose The Right Legume for Space!</a></li><li><a href="https://magnitude.io/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Magnitude.io</a></li><li><a href="https://www.issnationallab.org/blog/magnitude-io-exolab-7-research-ngcrs13/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Engaging Students in Research on Nitrogen Fixation in Microgravity</a></li></ul><script data-ad-client="ca-pub-4857359479760947" async src="https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script>The post <a href="https://astrobotany.com/lets-grow-beans-in-space/">Let’s Grow Beans in Space!</a> first appeared on <a href="https://astrobotany.com">Astrobotany.com</a>.]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://astrobotany.com/lets-grow-beans-in-space/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">3636</post-id> </item> </channel> </rss>