Principal Investigator(s):<\/p>\n
Norman Lewis, Washington State University<\/p>\n
Overview:<\/p>\n
Veg-06 studies how plants and beneficial bacteria work together in microgravity. Some plants, like beans and peas, partner with specific bacteria to pull nitrogen from the air and convert it into a form that plants can use for growth. The investigation also examines changes in lignin, the tough material that helps plants stand upright on Earth.<\/p>\n
Science objectives:<\/p>\n
Determine if plants and bacteria form working partnerships in microgravity<\/p>\n
Track plant health and growth when relying on bacteria for nutrients<\/p>\n
Study how the tough materials that give plants structure change in space<\/p>\n
Potential Earth applications:<\/p>\n
Could improve understanding of how nitrogen fixation improves soil, which may benefit nearby plants in nature or crops<\/p>\n
Seeks to demonstrate economic advantages of planting nitrogen-fixing crops alongside other crops<\/p>\n
Find out if modifying lignin in plants might have benefits to agriculture and forestry<\/p>\n
Potential space applications:<\/p>\n
May advance the development of ways to grow plants for food during future exploration<\/p>\n
Aims to reduce the need for fertilizers on future missions to the Moon and Mars<\/p>\n
Could make inedible plant parts easier to recycle, to help support future space crops<\/p>\n
\t\t\tBiological & Physical Sciences Division <\/p>\n