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Space-Grown Plants More Susceptible to Bacterial Infections, Study Finds

Microgravity conditions on the International Space Station cause plants' defense mechanisms to fail, increasing the risk of Salmonella contamination.

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Graduate student Noah Totsline works in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources lab of Harsh Bais on a NASA-sponsored project looking at how plants grown in space are more prone to infections of Salmonella compared to plants not grown in space or grown under gravity simulations. The microgravity environment of space can be simulated in the lab by rotating the plants at a precise speed that causes the plants to react as if they were in a constant state of free-fall.

Overview

  • Recent research suggests that plants grown in space, such as lettuce, are more susceptible to bacterial infections, particularly Salmonella, due to the microgravity environment.
  • The plants' stomata, tiny pores that usually close to protect against threats like bacteria, remain open in microgravity conditions, making them more vulnerable.
  • Researchers used a device called a clinostat to simulate microgravity conditions, confusing the plants' response to gravity and making them more prone to infection.
  • A beneficial bacterium known as UD1022, which usually helps protect plants, failed to safeguard the plants under these space-like conditions.
  • Scientists are now considering sterilizing seeds and genetically modifying plants to help them cope in the microgravity of space.