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.
One Giant Leap for Squid-Kind: Why NASA Launched Tiny Sea Creatures Into Space
NASA launched dozens of baby Hawaiian bobtail squid into space for scientific research on how to further preserve astronauts’ health during long space missions.
Robert Ferl Named Chair of the Decadal Survey on Biological and Physical Sciences Research in Space 2023–2032
The National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine announced that Dr. Robert J. Ferl, a distinguished professor and plant molecular biologist at the University of Florida, will co-chair the Decadal Survey on Biological and Physical Sciences Research in Space 2023–2032 along with Dr. Krystyn J. Van Vliet from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Life at Low Pressure: Planetary Protection and the Habitability of Mars
A recent study supported by the NASA Planetary Protection Research Program is lending new insight into hypopiezotolerant microorganisms. “The term ‘hypopiezotolerant’ means a microbe that is tolerant of low-pressure,” explains Dr. Andrew Schuerger, a researcher at the plant pathology department of the University of Florida and Principal Investigator (PI) on the NASA grant. “Hypo means low […]
IC2 Wins NASA Phase 2 SBIR for Field Deployable Wireless Data Acquisition System for Ground-Test Arrays
UF startup Interdisciplinary Consulting Corporation (IC2), a technology-development company commercializing miniaturized instrumentation that monitors the health of aerospace propulsion systems and enables reduced aircraft noise and improved fuel efficiency, announced that NASA has selected the company for a new Phase 2 contract from the 2019 SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) program for Field Deployable Wireless […]
UF Study Selected Among 21 NASA Proposals to Support Crew Health and Performance in Astronauts on Missions to the Moon and Mars
Dr. Wayne Nicholson, professor of Microbiology and Cell Science at the University of Florida, was selected by NASA to help answer questions about astronaut health and performance during future long-duration missions beyond low-Earth orbit. His proposal will evaluate the survival and potency of probiotics following exposure to simulated space radiation (galactic cosmic rays and solar particle events) […]
Inner to Outer Space: Studying Biological Changes With Plants on Rockets
What happens to the genes of organisms as they travel from the ground, through Earth’s atmosphere, and into space? Does their expression change? Are the changes subtle or dramatic? Do they happen quickly or gradually? Answering such fundamental research questions is essential to our understanding of the impact of space travel on humans and other […]