The International Space Station is an ideal place to conduct many types of experiments in space. Here scientists can conduct all those experiments in which they require an environment of weightlessness. Here, scientists grew many plants and found out whether salad can be grown in the gravity-free environment of space? Not only were they successful in this, but now the salad grown in the ISS has also been included in the food of NASA astronauts. But in the new study, scientists have explained what is the problem with lettuce grown in space and why it is so.
Researchers at the University of Delaware have discovered why lettuce grown in space gets infected with bacteria quickly. This study, published in Scientific Reports, highlights the risks associated with eating green leafy lettuce in the microgravity environment of space.
Space lettuce being grown in the ISS for the last three years is being included in the menu of the astronauts there. This salad is grown in special chambers in which there is a special environment for growing plants. The study states that the ISS contains disease-causing bacteria and fungi which can be a threat to the health of astronauts.
The behavior of plants becomes slightly different in space, which increases the possibility of infection. (Symbolic photo: NASA)
The results of this study only raise concerns for the health of those going to space. But this is more worrying because of the possibility of food-borne diseases spreading during long space missions. Agencies like NASA and SpaceX have invested heavily in such missions.
The study found that plants growing in an environment of microgravity are more likely to be infected with Salmonella. Scientists say that the reason for this is that the breathing space of the leaves, which is called stomata, is always open in space. Due to this, infected germs can easily enter inside it. On Earth, these stomata close at night.
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FIRST PUBLISHED: January 27, 2024, 16:40 IST