Agnirva Space Premier League - Expedition #31761: Jatropha in Orbit: Fueling a Sustainable Future from Space

Can biofuels help power a greener future—even in space? The NLP-Cells Jatropha Biofuels experiment led by Dr. Wagner Vendrame tested how Jatropha plant cells behave in space.

Jatropha curcas is a promising source for sustainable biofuel. But can it grow and thrive under space conditions? This study sent Jatropha cell cultures to the ISS to investigate how microgravity affects growth rates, gene expression, and oil production.

Why do this in space? Microgravity allows researchers to study cells without sedimentation or convective currents interfering. That means purer insights into cellular physiology.

Findings could inform biofuel development on Earth and help create energy sources for off-world colonies. It also supports research into growing plants in controlled, closed-loop life support systems.

This work intersects biotechnology, space farming, and energy innovation—all from a few flasks of floating plant cells.

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