Station Science Top News: Feb. 3, 2022
Three different plant studies are currently underway aboard the International Space Station. These experiments are not only helping us learn to better grow crops in space, but could also help identify possible ways to create more drought-resistant plants on Earth.
Learn more about these plant studies below.
- The way that commercial crops have been cultivated can make it difficult to engineer varieties with specific traits. Plant Habitat-05 studies gene expression in certain cotton plant cells to better understand this resistance to genetic engineering and possibly identify ways to create specific qualities, such as drought resistance.
- MVP Plant-01 examines shoot and root development in plants and the molecular mechanisms behind how plants sense and adapt to changes in their environment. Results could contribute to the design of plants better able to withstand adverse environmental conditions, including long-duration spaceflight.
- Veggie PONDS uses a newly developed passive nutrient delivery system and the station’s Veggie plant growth facility to cultivate lettuce and mizuna greens. Results could improve our understanding of how plants respond to microgravity and demonstrate reliable vegetable production on orbit.
Astronaut and Expedition 66 Flight Engineer Kayla Barron performs research operations for the MVP-Plant-01 space botany study that monitors shoot and root development in Arabidopsis plants in microgravity. Credits: NASA
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Results from the MARROW study indicate that microgravity is a primary contributor to space anemia, and longer exposure to spaceflight worsens the condition. These findings may improve the health monitoring of astronauts and the development of countermeasures to ensure safer space exploration.
A reduced red blood cell (RBC) count in astronauts, known as space anemia, has been reported since the early days of spaceflight. The Canadian Space Agency’s MARROW used a new technology that combines breath and blood samples to measure carbon monoxide as indicator of RBC destruction aboard the space station. Researchers found higher numbers of RBCs were eliminated in space than on Earth, and this change persisted throughout the duration of the space mission. Elimination of RBCs sharply decreased upon astronauts' return to Earth.
Astronaut Tim Kopra (left) performs blood draw on ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Tim Peake in the Columbus module. Credits: NASA
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A lamp created based on space station research into astronaut exposure to blue light can now be found in thousands of homes, helping people manage their circadian rhythms.
For two decades, the National Space Biomedical Research Institute, or NSBRI, looked at the ways long-duration spaceflight affected astronauts aboard the International Space Station. This NSBRI research found that when photoreceptors in the eye sensed blue light, the brain suppressed production of melatonin, the chemical in the brain that manages sleep. Dale Dell’Ario had read this research and attended a lecture with the team behind it. Armed with this new knowledge, he decided to use his previous experience creating light fixtures to make something that could help people reset like astronauts, who battle multiple sunrises and sunsets that can cause havoc on the body’s internal clock. The final version is an adjustable floor or table lamp that can be found in thousands of homes. While the lamp is primarily aimed at individuals looking to manage their circadian rhythms, it has also found success in the hospitality industry.
The Ario Lamp, based on NASA-funded research into circadian rhythms, changes color throughout the day to help alleviate jet lag, promote better sleep, and improve wakefulness. Credits: Ario