Page 174 - International Space Station Benefits for Humanity, 3rd edition.

For the first time in space research,
four consecutive generations of
genetically tagged pea line seeds
were obtained in spaceflight.

sources for crew members. For long-term interplanetary
spaceflights and planetary bases, the human life
Flight day 5 sample from the Coloured Fungi in support system and food production must be based
Space experiment. on regenerating the living environment from life support
Image credit: CFS-A science team products through physical/chemical and biological
processes. Greenhouses will most likely be designed
for the cultivation of vegetables—primarily greens and
herbs. However, to implement these plans, plants
must grow, develop and reproduce in spaceflight with
The CFS-A experiment clearly indicated that Ulocladium
chartarum is able to grow under spaceflight conditions, cultivation productivity similar to how it is done on
Earth. To address this need, a series of 17 Rasteniya
thereby elaborating a new strategy to survive for a experiments were conducted from 2002-2011 using the
short time by developing submerged mycelium, and
for a long time by developing sporulating microcolonies Lada greenhouse on the Russian Segment of the ISS.
on the surface of the nutrient source on which it was Multigenerational studies were carried out to culture
cultured. In spacecraft, U. chartarum and other fungal genetically tagged dwarf pea plants in the Lada space
species could find a favorable environment in which greenhouse. For the first time in space research, four
to grow invasively, unnoticed, in the depth of surfaces consecutive generations of genetically tagged pea line
under the right conditions, thus posing a risk factor for seeds were obtained in spaceflight. The growth and
biodegradation of structural components as well as development characteristics of various lines of pea
a direct threat for crew health. This will be especially plants did not change in a significant way compared
important for future long-duration missions outside of to ground-control samples. Using molecular methods
low-Earth orbit where astronauts will have to be more with random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD)
self-sufficient in maintaining spacecraft and systems. primers with 10 markers and analyzing chromosomal
Furthermore, some food supplies would need to aberrations, it was demonstrated that plants having
be preserved for longer than potentially 18 months. undergone four complete development cycles in
However, along the same line, this kind of research spaceflight did not manifest genetic polymorphism,
could potentially feed into strategies for waste recycling which makes it possible to assert that there is no
on spacecraft and the development of biological life impact of spaceflight factors on the genetic apparatus
support systems in the future. As we gain knowledge of plants in the first to the fourth “space” generations.
of the life histories of key species of fungi in the space To prepare a chain of higher plants for future life
environment, that knowledge can be readily applied to support systems of space crews, experiments were
better manage these species on Earth. carried out to cultivate the leafy vegetable plant Mizuna
(Brassica rapa var. nipposinica). Results showed
that the significant increase in the parameter of total
Experiments with Higher Plants on the contamination of ISS air did not result in a decrease in
Russian Segment of the International productivity of the leafy vegetable plant; however, the
Space Station plants responded with a change in gene expression.

Some of the most important tasks in space biology A space experiment to grow super dwarf wheat during
include creating reliable and effectively functioning a complete vegetation cycle showed that the rate of
life support systems, and providing sustaining food plant development over 90 days did not differ from data

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