A researcher at the University of Florida is about to send a project into space that will study how space affects seed genetics and resilience. The goal is to help the future of space farming and enable crops to adapt to Earth's harsh conditions.
The project, called Space Farming, will send grass, strawberry, and orchid seeds into space for one week. Researchers want to see how the plants react in space, as it is a high-stress environment.
Wagner Vendrame, the lead researcher of the project, explained: "As the plant senses that the environment is stressful, it starts producing these proteins to help the plant tolerate that stress."
According to Vendrame, as those stress genes turn on, the plants should be able to adjust to microgravity, regulate, and find balance.
This is a passive experiment, meaning Space Crew 11 will travel with the seeds, transfer them to the International Space Station National Laboratory, and then bring them back to Earth.