Lichens were already widespread over 410 million years ago, according to a new international study which identifies a fossil from Brazil as one of the oldest lichen in Earth’s history.
Plant Biology
Posted inExtremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Microgravity, Plant Biology, Sample Return, Space Agriculture, Space Life Science, Space Stations, Status Report, Terraforming & Geoengineering
Extreme Environmental Tolerance And Space Survivability Of The Moss, Physcomitrium patens
Climate change highlights the importance of understanding life’s survival limits for addressing global challenges and supporting future human habitation beyond Earth. Plants, as photosynthetic organisms, play a vital role in […]
Posted inAnalog Studies, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Plant Biology, Press Release, Sample Return, Tricorders & Sensors, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Orbital Biosignature Assay: Lake Eyre
Editor’s note: As we begin to study worlds in our own solar system that might have life we use our home world as a testbed for the various ways to […]
Posted inLife Support Systems, Microgravity, Plant Biology, Space Agriculture, Space Life Science, Status Report
Understanding The ‘Spaceflight Treatment’ In Plant Space Biology: Experimental Practices, Metadata Workflows, And Data Re-analysis
The boundaries between targeted interventions, background factors, and confounders are concerns in all biological experimentation.
Posted inGravitational Biology, Life Support Systems, Microgravity, Plant Biology, Space Agriculture, Space Life Science, Status Report
Peas on Mars: A Study Of Garden Pea, Lathyrus Oleraceus (Pisum sativum), Growth In Martian Regolith Simulant Treated With Black Soldier Fly Frass
Future long-duration missions to Mars will require in situ food production systems to reduce dependence on resupply missions and enhance crew autonomy.
Posted inBiosignatures & Paleobiology, Conferences and Meetings, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Habitable Zones, Plant Biology, Press Release
NASA Exoplanets System Science Extraterrestrial Photosynthesis Workshop
May 15-17, 2026Heidel House, Green Lake, Wisconsin, USAPreceding AbSciCon 2026 Applications for the NExSS Extraterrestrial Photosynthesis Workshop are now open. Deadline to apply is January 11, 2026.
Posted inExtremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Gravitational Biology, Microgravity, Missions & Hardware, Panspermia, Plant Biology, Press Release, Space Agriculture, Space Life Science, Space Stations
This Moss Survived 9 Months Directly Exposed To The Elements Of Space
Mosses thrive in the most extreme environments on Earth, from the peaks of the Himalayas to the sands of Death Valley, the Antarctic tundra to the lava fields of active […]
Posted inArtemis & Lunar Exploration, Exploration Gear & Tech, Life Support Systems, Moon, Plant Biology, Press Release, Space Agriculture, Space Life Science
Towards Farming On The Moon
To stay long-term on the Moon humans will need to produce food there. Is it possible to grow plants in environments very different from earth? With support from the Discovery […]
Posted inGravitational Biology, Life Support Systems, Microgravity, Plant Biology, Press Release, Space Agriculture, Space Life Science
New Research Shows How Plant Roots Bend And Growth Downward Toward Gravity
Scientists have uncovered how the plant hormone auxin helps roots bend and downwards towards gravity – a process called gravitropism – even after encountering obstacles in soil.
Posted inGravitational Biology, Plant Biology, Space Life Science, Status Report
NASA Biological and Physical Sciences Division Invites Community Input on Sunsetting and Emerging Science
Dear ASGSR Community, NASA’s Biological and Physical Sciences Division (BPS) invites community input on Sunsetting & Emerging Science topics until Oct 17, 2025. To provide your input: