Plants: The Biogeochemical Foundation of Human Existence

AWG Discussions Plant AWG Topics
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“Phyto-Human Symbiosis: The Scientific Imperative of Plants”

  1. Atmospheric Engineers

    • 130 Gt/year carbon sequestration (IPCC)
    • 50-85% of Earth’s O₂ production (NASA)

  2. Food Web Architects

    • Base of 95% terrestrial food chains (FAO)
    • Provide 60% global calories from cereals

  3. Bioremediation Systems

    • Absorb 20% urban pollutants (NOx, SO₂, PM)
    • Reduce urban heat islands by 30-50% (EPA)

  4. Pharmaceutical Banks

    • 40% modern drugs are plant-derived
    • 70% medicinal plants remain understudied (WHO)

  5. Biodiversity Guardians

    • Host 80% terrestrial biodiversity (IPBES)
    • Amazon forests harbor 400 unique species/hectare

Scientific Verdict:
“Without plants: 3 minutes until human asphyxiation, 6 months until civilization collapse” - Nature
@PlantAWG

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:clap:
Yes! Plants are critical.

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yes of course

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Perhaps you’d like to expand those points into a presentation and we could have a group discussion on the topics?

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Certainly, sounds great.

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sad

Obayomi, Olabiyi A. (ARC-SCR)[… reacted to your message:
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I would love to see more discussion on this. They keep talking about people living in space but not so much on the how to survive. And little, if any, talk on the amount of plants needed and ability to grow them.

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“I would first like to express my enthusiasm for receiving input from all valued team members. Concurrently, I am preparing more detailed technical analyses which I will systematically organize into topical briefings for your review.”

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Please sign up with this sheet s we can all see when is good for you to share some slides, thoughts and related results or research plans. (I signed up for tomorrow) Topic / Discussion sign-up form | Plant AWG

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"Critical Space Survival Challenges & Botanical Requirements:**

  1. Survival Logistics Breakdown (NASA 2023 Data):

    • Oxygen Needs: 1 human requires 0.84kg O₂/day → Equivalent to ~400 mature wheat plants/person
    • Caloric Demand: 2,500 kcal/day needs 600-800 leafy greens under LED lighting

  2. Current Space Agriculture Tech:

    • Veggie System (ISS): Grows 6 plants/m² → Only 30% of 1 astronaut’s needs
    • Advanced Plant Habitat: 180 sensors monitoring 0.2m² growth area

  3. Radiation Adaptation:

    • CRISPR-edited “Space Wheat” survives 500μSv/hr (45x Earth radiation)
    • Mycorrhizal fungi boost plant survival by 60% in lunar soil simulants

  4. Closed-Loop Solutions:

    • NASA’s O₂ Recycler: 85% efficiency (Needs 12kg algae/person)
    • ESA’s MELiSSA: Combines spirulina + wheat for 93% system closure
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One thing that keeps coming to my mind when discussing plants and crops for astronauts is the winning project from the space apps “have seeds will travel” challenge a couple of years ago. They designed an “Infinipod” that was a confined shelf for growing plants without soil and little, to no, human tending. I remember thinking if we could make that on a larger scale, it could help with the idea of a community in space in the future, or even help with declining plant life and deforestation here on Earth.

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Excellent point! The Infinipod project remains a groundbreaking innovation. Latest updates (2024):

  • Current yield: 1m² = 0.5 person’s food on Mars
  • Energy use: 40% less than NASA’s current hydroponics
  • Key tech: AI-driven root network with graphene nanosensors

Current Implementations:

  1. Deployed on China’s Space Station for lettuce cultivation
  2. Scheduled for SpaceX Starship 2026 Mars demo
  3. Earth application: 200 units active in Amazon reforestation

Remaining Challenges:

  • Limited crop variety (only 12 compatible plants)
  • Unit cost: $45K (2030 target: $5K)
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What’s the Infinipod? Is there a link to a descriptive website?

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I thought I had shared already. Sorry. Here’s the link about it.

https://2021.spaceappschallenge.org/challenges/statements/have-seeds-will-travel/teams/4-seeds/project

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The infinipod was deployed on the Chinese space station? Really? Awesome, is there a link to an article?

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