Agro-biology for bioregenerative Life Support Systems in long-term Space missions: General constraints and the Italian efforts

Micco, Veronica De; Aronne, Giovanna; Colla, Giuseppe; Fortezza, R.; Pascale, Stefania De

doi:10.1080/17429140903161348

Cited by 40 publications

(29 citation statements)

References 50 publications

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“…1;Gitelson 1992;Williams 2002). At the moment, integrated efforts between different disciplines are addressed to development of bioregenerative life-support systems (BLSS; De Micco et al 2009). The history of life-support systems (LSS) for Space missions started with hardware based on chemical-physical elements and later evolved towards modular systems including compartments based on organisms (Wheeler et al 1996;Barta et al 1999;Salisbury et al 2002;Sychev et al 2008).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microgravity effects on different stages of higher plant life cycle and completion of the seed‐to‐seed cycle

et al. 2013

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Human inhabitation of Space requires the efficient realisation of crop cultivation in bioregenerative life-support systems (BLSS). It is well known that plants can grow under Space conditions; however, perturbations of many biological phenomena have been highlighted due to the effect of altered gravity and its possible interactions with other factors. The mechanisms priming plant responses to Space factors, as well as the consequences of such alterations on crop productivity, have not been completely elucidated. These perturbations can occur at different stages of plant life and are potentially responsible for failure of the completion of the seed-to-seed cycle. After brief consideration of the main constraints found in the most recent experiments aiming to produce seeds in Space, we focus on two developmental phases in which the plant life cycle can be interrupted more easily than in others also on Earth. The first regards seedling development and establishment; we discuss reasons for slow development at the seedling stage that often occurs under microgravity conditions and can reduce successful establishment. The second stage comprises gametogenesis and pollination; we focus on male gamete formation, also identifying potential constraints to subsequent fertilisation. We finally highlight how similar alterations at cytological level can not only be common to different processes occurring at different life stages, but can be primed by different stress factors; such alterations can be interpreted within the model of 'stress-induced morphogenic response' (SIMR). We conclude by suggesting that a systematic analysis of all growth and reproductive phases during the plant life cycle is needed to optimise resource use in plant-based BLSS.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microgravity effects on different stages of higher plant life cycle and completion of the seed‐to‐seed cycle

et al. 2013

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“…In the near future, since the International Space Station is suitable to support systems of limited volume, plant cultivation in orbit will be limited to production of some fresh food for dietary integration, crew recreation and testing of crop productivity and gas exchange in reduced gravity (De Micco et al . ). Later planetary bases would have the resources and environmental conditions to build larger‐scale BLSS, able to provide complete autonomy for space colonies or outposts.…”

Section: Plant Cultivation In Blssmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…Indeed, virtually all scenarios for long-term habitation of spacecraft and other extraterrestrial structures involve plants, because of the complementary interrelationship with humans: in a simplistic vision, plants recycle human waste and provide nutrients to humans, while humans recycle plant waste and provide nutrients to plants. In the near future, since the International Space Station is suitable to support systems of limited volume, plant cultivation in orbit will be limited to production of some fresh food for dietary integration, crew recreation and testing of crop productivity and gas exchange in reduced gravity (De Micco et al 2009). Later planetary bases would have the resources and environmental conditions to build larger-scale BLSS, able to provide complete autonomy for space colonies or outposts.…”

Section: Plant Cultivation In Blssmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The practical use of plants for life support will expand as mission duration and planetary colonies increase; however, although the extensive research conducted worldwide on plant cultivation in space has surely addressed many biological and technical issues, it has also highlighted the need for further investigations aiming to optimise existing technologies for cultivation on Earth and their transferral towards space applications (De Micco et al 2009). BLSS have not yet been used in space because of their high energy consumption, large volume required and the high weight.…”

Section: Plant Cultivation In Blssmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Soilless cultivation of soybean for Bioregenerative Life‐Support Systems: a literature review and the experience of the MELiSSA Project – Food characterisation Phase I

et al. 2013

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Higher plants play a key role in Bioregenerative Life-Support Systems (BLSS) for long-term missions in space, by regenerating air through photosynthetic CO2 absorption and O2 emission, recovering water through transpiration and recycling waste products through mineral nutrition. In addition, plants could provide fresh food to integrate into the crew diet and help to preserve astronauts' wellbeing. The ESA programme Micro-Ecological Life-Support System Alternative (MELiSSA) aims to conceive an artificial bioregenerative ecosystem for resources regeneration, based on both microorganisms and higher plants. Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] is one of the four candidate species studied for soilless (hydroponic) cultivation in MELiSSA, because of the high nutritional value of the seeds. Within the MELiSSA programme - Food characterisation Phase I, the aim of the research carried out on soybean at the University of Naples was to select the most suitable European cultivars for cultivation in BLSS. In this context, a concise review on the state-of-the-art of soybean cultivation in space-oriented experiments and a summary of research activity for the preliminary theoretical selection and subsequent agronomical evaluation of four cultivars will be presented in this paper.

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“…This is a very important question from a view point of a human life‐support system for space exploration (De Micco et al . ). So‐called seed‐to‐seed experiments have been performed, and it has been proved that plants can complete their life cycle in space (Musgrave et al .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Effects of hypergravity stimulus on global gene expression during reproductive growth in Arabidopsis

et al. 2013

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The life cycle of higher plants consists of successive vegetative and reproductive growth phases. Understanding effects of altered gravity conditions on the reproductive growth is essential, not only to elucidate how higher plants evolved under gravitational condition on Earth but also to approach toward realization of agriculture in space. In the present study, a comprehensive analysis of global gene expression of floral buds under hypergravity was carried out to understand effects of altered gravity on reproductive growth at molecular level. Arabidopsis plants grown for 20-26 days were exposed to hypergravity of 300 g for 24 h. Total RNA was extracted from flower buds and microarray (44 K) analysis performed. As a result, hypergravity up-regulated expression of a gene related to β-1,3-glucanase involved in pectin modification, and down-regulated β-galactosidase and amino acid transport, which supports a previous study reporting inhibition of pollen development and germination under hypergravity. With regard to genes related to seed storage accumulation, hypergravity up-regulated expression of genes of aspartate aminotransferase, and down-regulated those related to cell wall invertase and sugar transporter, supporting a previous study reporting promotion of protein body development and inhibition of starch accumulation under hypergravity, respectively. In addition, hypergravity up-regulated expression of G6PDH and GPGDH, which supports a previous study reporting promotion of lipid deposition under hypergravity. In addition, analysis of the metabolic pathway revealed that hypergravity substantially changed expression of genes involved in the biosynthesis of phytohormones such as abscisic acid and auxin.

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Agro-biology for bioregenerative Life Support Systems in long-term Space missions: General constraints and the Italian efforts

Cited by 40 publications

References 50 publications

Microgravity effects on different stages of higher plant life cycle and completion of the seed‐to‐seed cycle

Microgravity effects on different stages of higher plant life cycle and completion of the seed‐to‐seed cycle

Soilless cultivation of soybean for Bioregenerative Life‐Support Systems: a literature review and the experience of the MELiSSA Project – Food characterisation Phase I

Effects of hypergravity stimulus on global gene expression during reproductive growth in Arabidopsis

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