"What if space held the key to producing alternative energy crops on Earth? That's what researchers are hoping to find in a new experiment on the International Space Station." That is the recent headline on NASA's website, and it certainly caught my attention—surely it would entice the general public around the world.
The experiment, called National Lab Pathfinder-Cells 3, is utilizing the fruit jatropha curcas, which produces oil adequate for converting into biofuel, to determine if the effects of microgravity can help the plant cells grow faster, thus allowing for more biofuel production.
Some of the jatropha plant cell cultures went up to the International Space Station aboard space shuttle Endeavour (STS-130) last month and they will come back on Discovery (STS-131) in April. A set of control cultures is located at the University of Florida. Scientists will compare the two sets of cultures to see if microgravity induces any changes on the plant cells.
See the full article from NASA here.
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