Seeding Exploration
UF researchers Rob Ferl and Anna-Lisa Paul are advancing space agriculture by successfully growing plants in lunar soil, a breakthrough that supports the future of human space exploration.
Interview With Dr. Rob Ferl & Dr. Anna-Lisa Paul of Astraeus Space Institute
UF space researchers Dr. Rob Ferl and Dr. Anna-Lisa Paul share insights and discuss key discoveries from their research on the potential for life in space.
Rob Ferl and Anna-Lisa Paul Fall 2024 Commencement Speech
At the 2024 UF Fall Commencement, Dr. Rob Ferl and Dr. Anna-Lisa Paul delivered an inspiring speech emphasizing the power of collaboration and shared journeys.
Out of This World: UF Fall Commencement Speakers Announced
UF researchers Rob Ferl, Ph.D., and Anna-Lisa Paul, Ph.D., will be the speakers for the University of Florida’s Fall Commencement ceremonies Dec. 13 and 14.
UF Researchers Study How To Grow Food on the Moon
UF is helping NASA build a permanent moon colony by growing plants in moon soil, a breakthrough that could benefit Florida and beyond as NASA prepares to send astronauts around the moon in 2025.
First NASA-Supported Researcher To Fly on Suborbital Rocket
Rob Ferl, a NASA-funded UF researcher, will fly with his experiment on a commercial suborbital rocket for the first time on Aug. 29.
Blue Origin Announces Crew for New Shepard’s 26th Mission; UF’s Rob Ferl Will Be on Board
Blue Origin revealed the six-person crew flying on its NS-26 mission, which will include University of Florida's Rob Ferl. Ferl will be the first NASA-funded researcher to conduct an experiment as part of a commercial suborbital space crew.
UF/IFAS Plants Grown in Space Flown Home
Researchers from the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences were glad to see their plants returned to Earth last month following an experiment aboard the International Space Station.
The plants were launched as seeds aboard the International Space Station in May as part of a multi-phase experiment being conducted by the UF/IFAS Space Plants Lab. Astronauts aboard the ISS grew the plants in July, harvested them in the Fall, sent them back to Earth in December, and the researchers had them by January.
This experiment focused on genetic strategies to make plants hardier and better able to adapt to the spaceflight environment. Over time, as more plants are given the opportunity to grow during spaceflight, researchers hope to "train" the plants to adapt to this environment.
University of Florida To Launch Space Mission Institute With $2.5 Million in Strategic Funding
Faculty at the University of Florida are joining forces to form the UF Space Mission Institute, with $2.5 million in funding from UF President Ben Sasse. The Institute will be managed by UF Research and will be a hub in which scientists and scholars from across UF can collaborate, conduct research, and innovate.
The institute will work to enhance existing relationships with Space Florida and the Space Life Sciences Laboratory at the Kennedy Space Center, and seek new partnerships with the International Space Station National Laboratory. The institute will also work to leverage UF’s proximity to the growing commercial space ecosystem in Florida. Throughout the next five years, the total economic impact of the commercial space industry in Florida is expected to be more than $5.3 billion.
UF Plant Experiment Flies on Virgin Galactic Spaceship
UF project, funded by NASA’s Flight Opportunities Program, was the only science experiment on the Virgin Galactic mission, meant to study the impact the transition to and from zero gravity has on gene expression in cells, and, more broadly, to develop protocols for “human-tended” suborbital flights.
