Experiment to Explore Effects of Microgravity on Photosynthesis Heads to Space Station

In an upcoming National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) launch, an important experiment focusing on plant growth in space is set to take place. A Northrop Grumman Cygnus spacecraft, riding on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, will carry the plants to the orbiting laboratory from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Once on the space station, the plants will be closely monitored by astronauts, and eventually, they will be returned to Earth for further analysis.

The experiment, developed by scientists at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), aims to examine how two different types of grass grow in the microgravity of space. Leading the project is biologist Pubudu Handakumbura from PNNL, who will compare the growth patterns of the grass in space with those grown at the Kennedy Space Center.

The primary focus of the study is to investigate photosynthesis and understand how plants utilize light to grow, producing sugars and oxygen and converting carbon dioxide in the process. The two grass types under scrutiny, Brachypodium distachyon and Setaria viridis, employ different mechanisms for carbon dioxide concentration. Handakumbura's team will analyze the two methods while considering the effects of a microgravity environment.

While the majority of plants on Earth use a carbon-concentrating mechanism known as C3, there is growing evidence indicating that the C4 method holds greater potential for efficient plant growth in space environments.

Understanding how plants respond in a microgravity setting is crucial for future deep space exploration, as it could significantly impact efforts related to food production and life support systems.

The research team will closely monitor the growth of three sets of identical plants for a duration of 32 days. Two sets of plants will be cultivated at the Kennedy Space Center, while the other set will be grown aboard the space station. In total, the experiment involves 288 plants.

During their time on the space station, astronauts will meticulously tend to the plants and document their photosynthetic activity. The plants will then be transported back to Earth by Northrop Grumman Cygnus spacecraft on a subsequent mission, where Handakumbura's team will dedicate several months to analyzing the gathered data and studying the molecular changes that occurred. This extensive analysis, involving proteins, metabolites, and other molecules, will take place at the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, a facility supported by the Department of Energy's Office of Science.

Named Advanced Plant Experiment-09 (APEX-09), Handakumbura's project includes several other researchers from PNNL, such as Chaevien Clendinen, Summer Duckworth, Kim Hixson, Madeline Southworth, and Kylee Tate.

As Handakumbura eagerly awaits the culmination of three years of collective effort, he expresses enthusiasm for the lessons that will be learned from APEX-09. The valuable insights gained from this collaborative scientific exploration will undoubtedly contribute to the future design of plant systems and their role in space missions.

Earlier, SSP wrote about the method to detect deepfakes with the help of astronomy.