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At least 397 records · Page 22

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NASA NTRS1996

Carbon dioxide exchange of lettuce plants under hypobaric conditions

Growth of plants in a Controlled Ecological Life Support System (CELSS) may involve the use of hypobaric pressures enabling lower mass requirements for atmospheres and possible enhancement of crop productivity. A controlled environment plant growth chamber with hypobaric capability designed and built at Ames Research Center was used to determine if reduced pressures influence the rates of photosynthesis (Ps) and dark respiration (DR) of hydroponically grown lettuce plants. The chamber, referred to as a plant volatiles chamber (PVC), has a growing area of about 0.2 m2, a total gas volume of about 0.7 m3, and a leak rate at 50 kPa of <0.1%/day. When the pressure in the chamber was reduced from ambient to 51 kPa, the rate of net Ps increased by 25% and the rate of DR decreased by 40%. The rate of Ps increased linearly with decreasing pressure. There was a greater effect of reduced pressure at 41 Pa CO2 than at 81 Pa CO2. This is consistent with reports showing greater inhibition of photorespiration (Pr) in reduced O2 at low CO2 concentrations. When the partial pressure of O2 was held constant but the total pressure was varied between 51 and 101 kPa, the rate of CO2 uptake was nearly constant, suggesting that low pressure enhancement of Ps may be mainly attributable to lowered partial pressure of O2 and the accompanying reduction in Pr. The effects of lowered partial pressure of O2 on Ps and DR could result in substantial increases in the rates of biomass production, enabling rapid throughput of crops or allowing flexibility in the use of mass and energy resources for a CELSS.

NASA Program CELSS↗

NASA NTRS2009

Validating Vegetable Production Unit (VPU) Plants, Protocols, Procedures and Requirements (P3R) using Currently Existing Flight Resources

Validating Vegetable Production Unit (VPU) Plants, Protocols, Procedures and Requirements (P3R) Using Currently Existing Flight Resources (Lada-VPU-P3R) is a study to advance the technology required for plant growth in microgravity and to research related food safety issues. Lada-VPU-P3R also investigates the non-nutritional value to the flight crew of developing plants on-orbit. The Lada-VPU-P3R uses the Lada hardware on the ISS and falls under a cooperative agreement between National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Russian Federal Space Association (FSA). Research Summary: Validating Vegetable Production Unit (VPU) Plants, Protocols, Procedures and Requirements (P3R) Using Currently Existing Flight Resources (Lada-VPU-P3R) will optimize hardware and

Bingham, Gail↗

NASA NTRS2009

Using LIDAR and Quickbird Data to Model Plant Production and Quantify Uncertainties Associated with Wetland Detection and Land Cover Generalizations

Spatiotemporal data from satellite remote sensing and surface meteorology networks have made it possible to continuously monitor global plant production, and to identify global trends associated with land cover/use and climate change. Gross primary production (GPP) and net primary production (NPP) are routinely derived from the MOderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) onboard satellites Terra and Aqua, and estimates generally agree with independent measurements at validation sites across the globe. However, the accuracy of GPP and NPP estimates in some regions may be limited by the quality of model input variables and heterogeneity at fine spatial scales. We developed new methods for deriving model inputs (i.e., land cover, leaf area, and photosynthetically active radiation absorbed by plant canopies) from airborne laser altimetry (LiDAR) and Quickbird multispectral data at resolutions ranging from about 30 m to 1 km. In addition, LiDAR-derived biomass was used as a means for computing carbon-use efficiency. Spatial variables were used with temporal data from ground-based monitoring stations to compute a six-year GPP and NPP time series for a 3600 ha study site in the Great Lakes region of North America. Model results compared favorably with independent observations from a 400 m flux tower and a process-based ecosystem model (BIOME-BGC), but only after removing vapor pressure deficit as a constraint on photosynthesis from the MODIS global algorithm. Fine resolution inputs captured more of the spatial variability, but estimates were similar to coarse-resolution data when integrated across the entire vegetation structure, composition, and conversion efficiencies were similar to upland plant communities. Plant productivity estimates were noticeably improved using LiDAR-derived variables, while uncertainties associated with land cover generalizations and wetlands in this largely forested landscape were considered less important.

Cook, Bruce D.↗

NASA NTRS2010

Evolution of Regolith Feed Systems for Lunar ISRU 02 Production Plants

The In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) project of the NASA Constellation Program, Exploration Technology Development Program (ETDP) has been engaged in the design and testing of various Lunar ISRU O2 production plant prototypes that can extract chemically bound oxygen from the minerals in the lunar regolith. This work demands that lunar regolith (or simulants) shall be introduced into the O2 production plant from a holding bin or hopper and subsequently expelled from the ISRU O2 production plant for disposal. This sub-system is called the Regolith Feed System (RFS) which exists in a variety of configurations depending on the O2 production plant oxygen being used (e.g. Hydrogen Reduction, Carbothermal, Molten Oxide Electrolysis). Each configuration may use a different technology and in addition it is desirable to have heat recuperation from the spent hot regolith as an integral part of the RFS. This paper addresses the various RFS and heat recuperation technologies and system configurations that have been developed under the NASA ISRU project since 2007. In addition current design solutions and lessons learned from reduced gravity flight testing will be discussed.

Mueller, Robert P.↗

NASA NTRS2006

Nutrient Considerations for Plants Grown Under Space Flight Conditions

We present here results on the analysis of 100 mL medium samples extracted from sterilized foam (Smithers-Oasis, Kent OH) used to support the growth of both dicotyledonous (Haplopappus gracilis, n=75) and monocotyledonous (Hemerocallis cv Autumn Blaze, n=25) aseptic plants in NASA's Plant Growth Unit (PGU) during the 5-day CHROMEX-01 Space Shuttle flight (March 1989, STS-29). At recovery, the medium remaining within each of the five floral foam blocks (for both the space flight and ground control experiments) was extracted under vacuum, filtered and subjected to elemental analyses. Concentration levels of some elements remained the same, while some decreased and others increased. A unique aspect of this experiment was that all plants were either aseptic tissue culture generated plantlets or sterile seedling clones, and the design of the PGU facilitated the maintenance of asepsis throughout the mission (confirmed by postflight microbial sampling). This permitted the elimination of microbial considerations in the interpretation of the data. The significance of these findings for growing plants in altered gravity environments are discussed.

Levine, Howard G.↗

NASA NTRS2012

Plant Science in Reduced Gravity: Lessons Learned

The effect of gravity on the growth and development of plants has been the subject of scientific investigation for over a century. The results obtained in space to test specific hypotheses on gravitropism, gene expression, seed formation, or growth rate are affected by both the primary effect of the microgravity and secondary effects of the spaceflight environment. The secondary effects of the spaceflight environment include physical effects arising from physical changes, such as the absence of buoyancy driven convective mixing, altered behavior of liquids and gases, and the environmental conditions in the spacecraft atmosphere. Thus, the design of biological experiments (e.g. cells, plants, animals, etc.) conducted in microgravity must account for changes in the physical forces, as well as the environmental conditions, imposed by the specific spaceflight vehicle and experimental hardware. In addition, researchers must become familiar with other aspects of spaceflight experiments: payload integration with hardware developers, safety documentation and crew procedures, and the logistics of conducting flight and ground controls. This report reviews the physical and environmental factors that directly and indirectly affect the results of plant science experiments in microgravity and is intended to serve as a guide in the design and implementation plant experiments in space.

Stutte, Gary W.↗

NASA NTRS2013

The Observed Response of Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) NO2 Columns to NOx Emission Controls on Power Plants in the United States: 2005-2011

We show that Aura Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) nitrogen dioxide (NO2) tropospheric column data may be used to assess changes of the emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) from power plants in the United States, though careful interpretation of the data is necessary. There is a clear response for OMI NO2 data to NOx emission reductions from power plants associated with the implementation of mandated emission control devices (ECDs) over the OMI record (2005e2011). This response is scalar for all intents and purposes, whether the reduction is rapid or incremental over several years. However, it is variable among the power plants, even for those with the greatest absolute decrease in emissions. We document the primary causes of this variability, presenting case examples for specific power plants.

remote sensing↗

NASA NTRS2013

Progress Towards an Interdisciplinary Science of Plant Phenology: Building Predictions Across Space, Time and Species Diversity

Climate change has brought renewed interest in the study of plant phenology - the timing of life history events. Data on shifting phenologies with warming have accumulated rapidly, yet research has been comparatively slow to explain the diversity of phenological responses observed across latitudes, growing seasons and species. Here, we outline recent efforts to synthesize perspectives on plant phenology across the fields of ecology, climate science and evolution. We highlight three major axes that vary among these disciplines: relative focus on abiotic versus biotic drivers of phenology, on plastic versus genetic drivers of intraspecific variation, and on cross-species versus autecological approaches. Recent interdisciplinary efforts, building on data covering diverse species and climate space, have found a greater role of temperature in controlling phenology at higher latitudes and for early-flowering species in temperate systems. These efforts have also made progress in understanding the tremendous diversity of responses across species by incorporating evolutionary relatedness, and linking phenological flexibility to invasions and plant performance. Future research with a focus on data collection in areas outside the temperate mid-latitudes and across species' ranges, alongside better integration of how risk and investment shape plant phenology, offers promise for further progress.

phenology↗

NASA NTRS2016

The Plant Phenology Monitoring Design for the National Ecological Observatory Network

Phenology is an integrative science that comprises the study of recurring biological activities or events. In an era of rapidly changing climate, the relationship between the timing of those events and environmental cues such as temperature, snowmelt, water availability, or day length are of particular interest. This article provides an overview of the observer-based plant phenology sampling conducted by the U.S. National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON), the resulting data, and the rationale behind the design. Trained technicians will conduct regular in situ observations of plant phenology at all terrestrial NEON sites for the 30-yr life of the observatory. Standardized and coordinated data across the network of sites can be used to quantify the direction and magnitude of the relationships between phenology and environmental forcings, as well as the degree to which these relationships vary among sites, among species, among phenophases, and through time. Vegetation at NEON sites will also be monitored with tower-based cameras, satellite remote sensing, and annual high-resolution airborne remote sensing. Ground-based measurements can be used to calibrate and improve satellite-derived phenometrics. NEON's phenology monitoring design is complementary to existing phenology research efforts and citizen science initiatives throughout the world and will produce interoperable data. By collocating plant phenology observations with a suite of additional meteorological, biophysical, and ecological measurements (e.g., climate, carbon flux, plant productivity, population dynamics of consumers) at 47 terrestrial sites, the NEON design will enable continental-scale inference about the status, trends, causes, and ecological consequences of phenological change.

phenology↗

NASA NTRS2019

Plants for Life Support in Space

Plants can provide a means of life support for space missions. Through photosynthesis, plant can generate oxygen and remove CO2, while generating clean water through transpiration. And, by using edible crops, the plants can also produce. The talk will review some of NASA's testing with plants for life support through the years and show how student teams at the "Growing Beyond Earth" challenge have helped NASA in this effort.

Wheeler, Raymond M.↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Evaluating Plant Suberin Mutants for Enhanced Water and Nutrient Uptake to Increase Biomass Production Under Elevated CO2 Concentrations

Spaceflight cabin environments such as the International Space Station (ISS) typically have elevated CO2(1500-7000 μmol mol-1), which can affect plant growth and development. On earth, findings from FACE (Free-Air CO2Enrichment) and climate change studies have shown that plants grown at elevated (~ 700 μmol mol-1) CO2contain reduced levels of essential elements such as nitrogen, zinc, and iron. We hypothesized that spacecraft environments with elevated CO2 might likewise result in less nutritious crops for human consumption. Literature showed that quantitative differences in root suberin content could determine the permeability of the internal plant tissues to both water and solutes. To evaluate if there was a correlation between growth under elevated CO2and root suberin content we grew Arabidopsis thaliana, wild type (WT)(col-0), esb1(Enhanced Suberin 1) and horst1(Hydroxylase of Root Suberized Tissue)under ambient (~ 420± 25μmol mol-1) and elevated (800 ± 25, 1600 ± 25, 4000 ± 25 μmol mol-1) CO2concentrations. Comparing the growth of esb1and horst1plants to WT under ambient and elevated CO2concentrations, esb1showed significantly (P-value < 0.05) lower total fresh biomass whereas the horst1exhibited no significant difference. RNA sequencing revealed genes related to water uptake or nutrient availability stress upregulated due to the exposure to 800 and 1600 μmol mol-1CO2.Comparing the elemental composition of leaf tissue between WT and horst1plants grown under elevated CO2,we found an overall decrease in elemental composition for WT, whereas horst1showed an average increase of 30-60 % in the elemental contentsat1600 μmol mol-1compared to plants grown at ambient CO2. In conclusion, our results showed that horst1like modification to edible crops could improve the nutritional (elemental) content to supplement astronaut’s diet.

Anirudha R Dixit↗

NASA NTRS2022

Leaf-level chlorophyll fluorescence and reflectance spectra of high latitude plants

Little is known about the chlorophyll fluorescence spectra for high latitude plants. A FluoWat leaf clip was used to measure leaf-level reflectance and chlorophyll fluorescence spectra of leaves of common high latitude plants to examine general spectral characteristics of these species. Fluorescence yield (Fyield) was calculated as the ratio of the emitted fluorescence divided by the absorbed radiation for the wavelengths from 400 nm up to the wavelength of the cut-off for the FluoWat low pass filter (either 650 or 700 nm). The Fyield spectra grouped into distinctly different patterns among different plant functional types. Black spruce (Picea mariana) Fyield spectra had little red fluorescence, which was reabsorbed in the shoot, but displayed a distinct far-red peak. Quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) had both high red and far-red Fyield peaks, as did sweet coltsfoot (Petasites frigidus). Cotton grass (Eriophorum spp.) had both red and far-red Fyield peaks, but these peaks were much lower than for aspen or coltsfoot. Sphagnum moss (Sphagnum spp.) had a distinct Fyield red peak but low far-red fluorescence. Reindeer moss lichen (Cladonia rangiferina) had very low fluorescence levels, although when damp displayed a small red Fyield peak. These high latitude vegetation samples showed wide variations in Fyield spectral shapes. The Fyield values for the individual red or far-red peaks were poorly correlated to chlorophyll content, however the ratio of far-red to red Fyield showed a strong correlation with chlorophyll content. The spectral variability of these plants may provide information for remote sensing of vegetation type but may also confound attempts to measure high latitude vegetation biophysical characteristics and function using solar induced fluorescence (SIF).

K Fred Huemmrich↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

3D Printed Materials Characterization for Rapid Prototyping and Plant Growth

Space Biology experimentation but their effects during plant growth and sanitation have not been documented. With further testing we can determine how certain 3D printed materials affect our plants. The way we tested germination included laying two pieces of germination paper down with the printed petri dish insert of the various material and 14 seeds of Outrageous lettuce to fit in the holes of the insert. We kept an even moisture in all parts by wrapping the petri dishes in two layers of parafilm tape. This project tests over 15 different materials to document performance during plant growth scenarios. This research will not only help space biology but also citizens who use these materials to understand the potential of leaching and ill effects. 3D printing is a recent generally accessed technology with new materials coming out every day. It is important to understand how materials could impact the way the plants grow, and the safety of the food grown. As we continue testing these materials, we will also test engineering properties like tension and elasticity. We have a microbiology team working on this project as well to test biofilm formation. From the germination tests we have completed we have seen little impact on germination rate of these seeds. However, some parts absorb moisture. An ideal material is one that doesn’t leach chemicals or microplastics, can withstand high tension and compression, and doesn’t promote microbial growth. This work is funded by NASA. M. Gandhi was funded by MAIANSE.

Mily Gandhi↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Nonlinear Plant Responses to Carbon Dioxide and Climate Diminish Water Availability

Water availability for people and its future with global warming is intimately tied to uncertain interactions between the biogeophysical and biogeochemical land responses to enhanced atmospheric carbon dioxide. In particular, research has centered on the question of whether (and by how much) plants will mediate projections of enhanced aridity and drought expected with atmospheric warming. Using an idealized set of Earth System Model (ESM) experiments that decouple the radiative and biogeochemical responses to increased carbon dioxide, we show that ecosystem water use nonlinearly increases across most of the globe under forcing, in spite of increased water use efficiencies attributable to physiological responses to plants. Enhanced ecosystem water consumption is associated with decreased runoff efficiency and soil moisture declines and emerges from nonlinear interactions between the radiative and biogeochemical response of the land surface to increased atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations, which preferences the partitioning of precipitation to plants, irrespective of precipitation changes. Increased partitioning to runoff is associated with precipitation changes that outpace canopy interception changes. Crucially, our results suggest that within the models, warming and carbon dioxide nonlinearly interact to make plants consume more water rather than save it, with implications for responsible interpretation of drought risks under forcing.

water availability↗

NASA NTRS2024

System Modeling of a Lunar Molten Regolith Electrolysis Plant

In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) is the process of extracting local resources to produce commodities for propulsion, life support systems, and off-planet construction rather than transporting consumables from Earth. Molten Regolith Electrolysis (MRE) is a novel ISRU method of extracting oxygen gas and metal alloy from lunar regolith. The MRE process involves placing lunar regolith between two electrodes, through which current is passed, to melt the regolith and reduce the metal oxide constituents by direct electrolysis (e.g. FeO, SiO 2 , MgO, Al 2 O 3 ) into oxygen gas and metal alloys. The oxygen is liquefied and used as propellant for landers, while the metals (e.g. Ferro-alloys) are further processed and used in structural building materials and parts manufacturing. A system model was developed that accounted for the major processes of an MRE plant (from excavation of raw materials to storage of products) to assess the feasibility of a lunar MRE plant. The S ystem Engineering and Integration ( S E&I) I SRU M odeling and A nalysis (SIMA) team utilized its previously documented system sizing model, the Mission Analysis and Integration Tool (MAIT) as framework of the system model. MAIT uses MATLAB/Simulink to integrate subsystem models into a complete system model of the MRE plant. Total mass, volume, and power requirements were computed for numerous iterations of a MRE plant.

In-Situ Resource Utilization↗

NASA NTRS2003

Instrumentation and methodology for quantifying GFP fluorescence in intact plant organs

The General Fluorescence Plant Meter (GFP-Meter) is a portable spectrofluorometer that utilizes a fiber-optic cable and a leaf clip to gather spectrofluorescence data. In contrast to traditional analytical systems, this instrument allows for the rapid detection and fluorescence measurement of proteins under field conditions with no damage to plant tissue. Here we discuss the methodology of gathering and standardizing spectrofluorescence data from tobacco and canola plants expressing GFP. Furthermore, we demonstrate the accuracy and effectiveness of the GFP-Meter. We first compared GFP fluorescence measurements taken by the GFP-Meter to those taken by a standard laboratory-based spectrofluorometer, the FluoroMax-2. Spectrofluorescence measurements were taken from the same location on intact leaves. When these measurements were tested by simple linear regression analysis, we found that there was a positive functional relationship between instruments. Finally, to exhibit that the GFP-Meter recorded accurate measurements over a span of time, we completed a time-course analysis of GFP fluorescence measurements. We found that only initial measurements were accurate; however, subsequent measurements could be used for qualitative purposes.

Evaluation Studies↗

NASA NTRS2002

Root gravitropism: an experimental tool to investigate basic cellular and molecular processes underlying mechanosensing and signal transmission in plants

The ability of plant organs to use gravity as a guide for growth, named gravitropism, has been recognized for over two centuries. This growth response to the environment contributes significantly to the upward growth of shoots and the downward growth of roots commonly observed throughout the plant kingdom. Root gravitropism has received a great deal of attention because there is a physical separation between the primary site for gravity sensing, located in the root cap, and the site of differential growth response, located in the elongation zones (EZs). Hence, this system allows identification and characterization of different phases of gravitropism, including gravity perception, signal transduction, signal transmission, and curvature response. Recent studies support some aspects of an old model for gravity sensing, which postulates that root-cap columellar amyloplasts constitute the susceptors for gravity perception. Such studies have also allowed the identification of several molecules that appear to function as second messengers in gravity signal transduction and of potential signal transducers. Auxin has been implicated as a probable component of the signal that carries the gravitropic information between the gravity-sensing cap and the gravity-responding EZs. This has allowed the identification and characterization of important molecular processes underlying auxin transport and response in plants. New molecular models can be elaborated to explain how the gravity signal transduction pathway might regulate the polarity of auxin transport in roots. Further studies are required to test these models, as well as to study the molecular mechanisms underlying a poorly characterized phase of gravitropism that is independent of an auxin gradient.

Non-NASA Center↗

NASA NTRS2002

Expression and affinity purification of recombinant proteins from plants

With recent advances in plant biotechnology, transgenic plants have been targeted as an inexpensive means for the mass production of proteins for biopharmaceutical and industrial uses. However, the current plant purification techniques lack a generally applicable, economic, large-scale strategy. In this study, we demonstrate the purification of a model protein, beta-glucuronidase (GUS), by employing the protein calmodulin (CaM) as an affinity tag. In the proposed system, CaM is fused to GUS. In the presence of calcium, the calmodulin fusion protein binds specifically to a phenothiazine-modified surface of an affinity column. When calcium is removed with a complexing agent, e.g., EDTA, calmodulin undergoes a conformational change allowing the dissociation of the calmodulin-phenothiazine complex and, therefore, permitting the elution of the GUS-CaM fusion protein. The advantages of this approach are the fast, efficient, and economical isolation of the target protein under mild elution conditions, thus preserving the activity of the target protein. Two types of transformation methods were used in this study, namely, the Agrobacterium-mediated system and the viral-vector-mediated transformation system. Copyright 2002 Elsevier Science (USA).

Non-NASA Center↗