MVP (Multi-Use Variable-g Platform)-Plant-02
Fungal map on Arabidopsis.
Kylee Soltez
Principal Investigators: Dr. Andrew Schuerger (Emeritus), Dr. Robert J. Ferl, Dr. Anna-Lisa Paul, University of Florida
Overview: MVP-Plant-02 will test the hypothesis that crop diseases develop faster and become more severe in microgravity.
Science objectives:
- Develop reliable procedures to study plant-microbe interactions in space
- Compare molecular and structural changes between Earth- and International Space Station-grown plants infected with a disease-causing fungus
Potential Earth applications:
- Improve ways to manage crop disease outbreaks on Earth
- Guide crop breeding to create plants that are more resistant to disease
Potential space applications:
- Create strategies to minimize losses in crop yield and quality in future space agriculture systems
- Produce a sustainable source of fresh food for crew that will provide dietary nutrition and variety, psychological benefits, and life support
Biological & Physical Sciences Division
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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 phenomena 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.