ASGSB 1998 Annual Meeting Abstracts

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NASA SPACE LIFE SCIENCES TRAINING PROGRAM: STUDIES BY THE GRAVITATIONAL BIOLOGY EMPHASIS GROUP. K. Leanza, W. Piastuch, D. Stutes, Y. Hua, H. Mullett, S. Weise, J. Caldwell, B. Weber, M. Tackett, D. Shah, V. Vidal, C. Vyas, and T. Ruttley. Space Life Science Training Program, The National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Kennedy Space Center and Florida A & M University, Tallahassee, FL.

Students in the six-week program were involved in science and engineering activities pertaining to gravitational and space biology research of plants. The focus of this group is to understand the individual components of spaceflight affecting plant growth and development, towards the eventual goal of food production for human sustenance in space or other planetary environments. The particular research efforts of the 1998 SLSTP students included: Testing of light emitting diodes (LEDs ) as a light source for both terrestrial and aquatic plants; testing of nutrient solutions and different nutrient delivery systems for plant growth in both gravity and microgravity environments; use of hypo- and hyper-gravity to study plant growth and physiological responses to altered gravity environments; molecular and cellular investigations of plants grown under super-elevated atmospheric concentrations of CO₂; compilation of educational activities for elementary schools to demonstrate recycling for plant growth in remote habitats; and developing and testing protocols for a plant spaceflight experiment using prototype flight hardware. The students presented the results of their research efforts in a seminar at the end of the program and submitted a written report to the NASA and Florida A&M SLSTP program managers. (Supported by the NASA Space Life Sciences Training Program)

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