Agnirva Space Premier League - Expedition #32632: Keeping It Clean: Monitoring Microbes in Space Crop Systems

Growing food in space sounds exciting—but it comes with a big responsibility: maintaining a safe and clean environment. That’s where this important NASA experiment steps in. Led by Dr. Cherie Oubre, the study monitored microbial populations in and around space-based plant growth systems over multiple ISS expeditions.

Space is a unique setting where microbes behave differently than on Earth. They might grow faster, become more resistant, or settle in unusual places. Monitoring their behavior helps ensure that crops remain safe to eat and equipment stays uncontaminated.

This experiment used culture-based techniques, meaning scientists collected samples from surfaces, water, and plant roots, and grew them in labs to identify bacteria and fungi. The goal? To catch any harmful microbes early and understand their growth trends.

Key findings include identification of hotspots for microbial growth, effectiveness of cleaning protocols, and the importance of ongoing monitoring during crop cultivation.

Thanks to this work, NASA is better prepared to scale up food production for future lunar or Martian outposts—safely and sustainably.

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