I am a doctoral student at Université catholique de Louvain in the Mycology laboratory of Stéphane Declerck, conducting research for the MARS UCLouvain project.
The MARS UCLouvain mission offers a unique opportunity to test and advance scientific knowledge for space exploration in an extreme environment. As a non-profit organization affiliated with the Catholic University of Louvain, our team is dedicated to promoting research and science as a whole, with a particular interest in space exploration.
Our flagship project will take place in April 2025, during which we will spend two weeks immersed in the Mars Desert Research Station, located in the heart of the Utah desert. This setting allows us to simulate Mars-like environmental and living conditions and to conduct interdisciplinary research across fields such as health sciences, geography, engineering, biology, and more, aiming to address challenges related to human survival and crisis management in isolated environments.
My research focuses on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) response to environmental change drivers. As part of the project and my thesis, I will be testing the germination, viability and symbiotic efficacy of arbuscular mycorrhizae spores with host plants under simulated Mars conditions. If AMF have enabled to colonize land under extreme conditions (CO2, nutrient-poor soils), it is not out of the question that they could also helps plants to develop on Mars.
I contact you in case anyone would be interested to speak with me about collaboration for my research for the MARS UCLouvain project.
If this collaboration interests you or if you would like more information about my project, please feel free to contact me directly via email (bbastogne@marsuclouvain.be).
I extend my sincere thanks and look forward to the possibility of collaborating with you.
Of note, Berengere, in this post below are all the meeting times and contact info for both AWGs. Its best to attend the monthly meetings to introduce yourself and pitch ideas on projects.
Hello! It would be awesome if you were interested in presenting some of your work at the next or a future Plant AWG meetings. I have a friend who recently grew some mushrooms while visiting the Mars Desert Research Station so i’m sure there are loots of opportunities for collaboration. Looking forward to discussing in the future.
Hello Bérengère, your research is very interesting! I also work with AMF in my PhD! Here in Brazil, together with my advisor @camila.m.patreze, we are working with lunar and Martian regolith and verifying how Non-Conventional Food Plants (PANC) can survive in regolith together with AMF and other organisms!
Very cool Bérengère! My lab also has worked a good deal on plant-associated fungi, including mycorrhizas. If you’re looking for strains, here at KU we host INVAM (global collection of AMF). My lab has recently been exploring 1) the resistance of Mojave desert fungal communities to space-like stresses (radiation, drought, ultra-cold nights), 2) growth of fungi on regoliths with and without biosolid additives, and 3) the ability of AMF spores to move via static forces. There are a few folks in the Microbial and Plant AWGs that are interested in plant-microbes so we did start a Plant-Microbe working group that I’m helping lead. I’d be happy to talk with you more about those efforts. I usually give updates on them in the AWG meetings. As @dr.richard.barker said, we’d love to hear more about your work in one or both of those meetings.
Your work is very cool. I’ve passed on and shared your message with my colleague Chris Bell who is working on AMF through his Discovery Fellowship at the University of Leeds. I’m sure he will be in touch soon. Thanks!
Cheers