NASA BRIC-24 on ISS studies thale cress for astronaut food
Technology
NASA scientists are running an experiment on the International Space Station to see how plants cope without gravity.
The project, called BRIC-24, focuses on thale cress and is led by researchers Dr. Marcela Rojas-Pierce, Dr. Mengying Wang, and NASA Project Scientist Ye Zhang.
By studying how these plants behave in microgravity, the team hopes to unlock ways to grow food for astronauts on future missions and maybe even improve farming back here on Earth.
Fluorescent markers track thale cress gravitropism
The team grows two types of thale cress inside special canisters aboard the ISS, tagging plant parts with fluorescent markers so they can watch how cells adapt when gravity is missing.
They're especially interested in gravitropism: how plants know which way is up or down.