California State University, Northridge (CSUN) biology professor Chhandak Basu has been awarded a total of $700,000 in NASA grants to investigate how plants and microbes survive in space-like environments. His latest $400,000 grant centers on leafy vegetables and their responses to microgravity combined with drought-like conditions. This follows an earlier $300,000 NASA grant focused on Halobacterium salinarum, a salt-tolerant microbe capable of withstanding severe conditions like ultraviolet light, heavy metals, and high salinity. The microbial research explores molecular and genomic survival mechanisms, offering potential clues into the origins of life and extraterrestrial life.
Methodology, Space Simulation, and Terrestrial Benefits:
To simulate microgravity effects on Earth, researchers use a clinostat a rotating device that alters and disrupts how plants perceive gravity. The team is collaborating with scientists at NASA’s Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley, including co-investigator Craig Everroad, to analyze root-zone microbes in simulated lunar and Martian soils. Beyond providing astronauts with fresh food alternatives and supporting their mental health through plant care, the findings have valuable applications for agriculture on Earth amid growing water scarcity and drought.
Student Opportunities and Academic Background:
The grant initiative provides financial stipends and hands-on opportunities for two to three CSUN students to work directly alongside NASA scientists at the Ames Research Center. Professor Basu was born to a family of professors in Kolkata and earned his bachelor’s degree in agricultural sciences from B.C.K.V. in West Bengal. He furthered his education with a Master of Science in agronomy from Montana State University, a Ph.D. in environmental sciences from the University of Rhode Island, and postdoctoral work at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.
