New Crops, Health Research Proposals to Help NASA Advance Exploration

4 min read

NASA Science Editorial Team

Contents

• space crops proposal builds on previous studies on the International Space Station to uncover functions of algal genes, segments of DNA controlling algae survival, whose expression is modified by spaceflight. Such studies can help scientists integrate biological-based solutions into space life-support systems.

  The second set of six proposals fall under the agency’s Biological and Physical Sciences Division’s focus on precision health, which seeks to unravel the mechanisms by which space exploration affects health and well-being. One proposal studies how lunar dust exposure impacts respiratory, immune, and inflammation responses.  A second proposal identifies repurposed drugs that can mitigate the effects space travel has on health and physiology.

  Two more of the research proposals look at how radiation combined with other stressors affects age-relevant characteristics seen in various organ and physiological systems. The final two proposals assess molecular and cellular changes induced by stressors in space that can alter gene expression or protein function. The research will identify ways to mitigate health issues and develop early-warning detection systems to notify crew of potential concerns.

  The principal investigators who conduct the space biology studies come from 10 institutions across eight states. Nine of the awards are for investigators who are receiving funding from the Space Biology Program for the first time.

  Selected Space Crops Investigations

  • Jannell Bazurto, University of Minnesota
    Cultivating the Cosmos: Investigating Plant-Microbe Dynamics for Sustainable Space Farming
  • Miranda Haus, Michigan State University
    Investigating Legume Crop Rotations and Microbial Interactions in Regolith Simulants
  • Andrew Settles, NASA Ames Research Center
    Genetic Mitigation of Spaceflight Stressors on Production of Chlamydomonas
  • Christopher Taylor, Ohio State University
    Hydroponic Microbes in a Low Carbon, High-Radiation Environment; Identifying the Genetic Determinants of Water- and Plant-Associated Microbial Survival in Extraterrestrial Environments
  • Robert VanBuren, Michigan State University
    Leveraging the Natural Resilience of Resurrection Plants for Space Bioregenerative Systems
  • Shuyang Zhen, Texas A&M AgriLife Research
    Environmental Optimization and Cultivar Selection to Enhance Dwarf Tomato Growth and Stress Tolerance for Space Agriculture

  Selected Precision Health Investigations

  • Archana Dhasarathy, University of North Dakota
    Epigenetic Memory as an Adaptive Mechanism to Microgravity and Radiation Exposure
  • Andrij Holian, University of Montana
    Contribution of Aging to Particle-Induced Chronic Inflammation
  • Mert Gur, University of Pittsburgh
    Probing Pathogenic Mutations Under Spaceflight-Relevant Stressors Via All-Atom Molecular Dynamics Simulations
  • Grace O'Connell, University of California
    Persistent Spine Health Impacts of Microgravity and Radiation Following Recovery
  • Satoshi Okawa, University of Pittsburgh
    Investigating Space Flight-Induced Brain-Heart Axis Aging and Identifying Repurposed Drugs to Mitigate Its Effects
  • Sanghee Yun, Ph.D., The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
    Spaceflight-Relevant Hypercapnia Effects on Space Radiation- and Social Isolation-Induced Biological Aging: A Systems Biology Analysis of Multiple Aging Hallmarks

  When fully implemented, more than $7 million in grant money will be awarded throughout fiscal years 2026-2030. These awards were made in response to research proposals submitted to ROSES-2024: Program Element E.9: Space Biology Research Studies (NNH24ZDA001N-SBR).

  To learn more about NASA’s biological and physical research in space, visit: https://science.nasa.gov/biological-physical/

  Biological & Physical Sciences Division

  • NASA’s Biological and Physical Sciences Division pioneers scientific discovery and enables exploration by using space environments to conduct investigations not possible on Earth. Studying biological and physical phenomenon under extreme conditions allows researchers to advance the fundamental scientific knowledge required to go farther and stay longer in space, while also benefitting life on Earth.