As humans prepare for deep-space missions, a major obstacle must be addressed: What will they eat?
Louisiana Tech University biology professor Dr. Joshua Vandenbrink and his colleagues are currently researching that issue for NASA, focusing on mushroom cultivation. He will discuss his research on Tuesday, September 22, at 5:30 p.m. in the Union Museum of History and Art, 211 N. Main Street, Farmerville, LA. His presentation, "Growing Food in Space: Current Research and Future Perspectives," is a feature of the museum’s NASA exhibit on display from August 13 to Sept. 26.
Dr. Vandenbrink, associate professor in Louisiana Tech University’s School of Biological Sciences, received the NASA Research Initiation Award to study how edible mushrooms can be cultivated in space as part of sustainable life support systems for long-duration space missions.