Latest news with #FOODiQGlobal
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Scientists Are Trying to Grow Mushrooms in Space — Here's Why That Matters
Key points Scientists are testing whether oyster mushrooms can grow and fruit in space as part of Mission MushVroom. Mushrooms offer key advantages for space food, including compact growth and high nutrition. Unlike many Earth-bound crops, mushrooms require little space, minimal water, and no sunlight to grow. They are fully edible, rich in nutrients like B vitamins, selenium, and copper. If mushrooms can thrive in confined, resource-limited space environments, the technology and insights could be applied to urban farming on Earth. Most of us struggle to keep a basil plant alive — but scientists are now trying to grow mushrooms in space. A new experiment, Mission MushVroom, is testing whether oyster mushrooms can fruit in microgravity. If it works, it could change what astronauts eat — and how we grow food on Earth. Led by space nutritionist and FOODiQ Global CEO Dr. Flávia Fayet-Moore, Mission MushVroom is part of SpaceX's Fram2 mission and aims to explore mushrooms as a viable space crop. The team prepared colonized substrate blocks and mycelium tubes to observe how oyster mushrooms colonize and potentially fruit in space. "Edible mushrooms like oyster offer unique agricultural applications and nutritional benefits—making them the perfect space crop," said Fayet-Moore. "They grow rapidly in small spaces, need minimal resources like water, and don't require sunlight to grow. Plus, they're fully edible and help close the loop in plant agriculture." Related: How to Wash Mushrooms, According to a Farmer Unlike many Earth-bound crops, mushrooms fit the "grow, pick, and eat." model—ideal for space missions without cooking facilities. They're also a nutritional powerhouse, providing B vitamins, selenium, copper, and even an umami flavor that holds up well in space. Remarkably, mushrooms are the only non-animal food that can produce vitamin D—making them especially valuable for astronauts. "What's exciting about mushrooms is that they can produce 100% of an astronaut's daily vitamin D requirement in just about 100 grams," Fayet-Moore explained. "That's significant in space, where vitamin D is the only supplement currently given to astronauts in low Earth orbit." The team is not only observing whether mushrooms can fruit in space but also investigating potential physical, biochemical, or genetic differences compared to Earth-grown fungi. Beyond this specific mission, the implications are far-reaching." If we can grow mushrooms and other crops in these confined, controlled environments, it could help advance urban agriculture here on Earth," Fayet-Moore said. "As we face the challenge of feeding 10 billion people by 2050, this kind of research could be game-changing." From freeze-drying to food safety protocols, the space sector has long influenced how we eat. Mushrooms may just be the next frontier—bridging planetary exploration with planetary survival. Read the original article on Food & Wine
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
SpaceX's Fram2 astronaut flight over Earth's poles will be the 1st to grow mushrooms in space
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Astronauts will attempt to grow mushrooms in space for the first time during SpaceX's upcoming Fram2 mission. Launching aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket as early as Monday (March 31), the Fram2 mission will be the first human spaceflight mission to fly over Earth's polar regions. It will carry a crew of four into a 90-degree orbit that will send them over both the North and South Poles. The Fram2 crew will attempt to grow oyster mushrooms in microgravity as part of an experiment called Mission MushVroom, which is led by the Australian company FOODiQ Global. Mushrooms could offer a nutritious, delicious and sustainable food source for long-duration missions to the moon, Mars and beyond, according to a statement from the company. "Mushrooms are the perfect space crop," FOODiQ Global CEO Flávia Fayet-Moore, who's leading the experiment, said in the statement. "Oyster mushrooms rapidly grow in small spaces, doubling in size daily, and are packed with a rich nutrient profile," added Fayet-Moore, who's also a space nutritionist. "Uniquely, they produce 100% of astronauts' daily dose of vitamin D when exposed to UV light, potentially replacing one of the key supplements currently given to them on the International Space Station." Related: Meet the astronauts of SpaceX's Fram2 mission, the 1st to fly over Earth's poles The Fram2 mission is led by Maltese entrepreneur Chun Wang. The other crewmembers include vehicle commander Jannicke Mikkelsen of Norway, Australia's Eric Philips, who's the medical officer and mission specialist, and pilot Rabea Rogge of Germany. This will be the first spaceflight for all four crewmembers. During the planned three-to-five-day SpaceX mission, the crew will conduct a series of research experiments centered around astronaut health, for which proper nutrition is key. The mushroom experiment will be conducted on the last day of the mission, led by Philips. "In space, food often tastes bland due to altered taste perception and the need for a low-sodium diet to help counteract the negative effects of microgravity on bone health," Flávia said in the statement. "Mushrooms are rich in umami flavor, being one of the only tastes that remains strong in space. Oyster mushrooms are also highly resilient, scalable and capable of growing using 100% of the inedible plant waste, and even cotton t-shirts in their growth medium." As part of the MushVroom experiment, the crew will prepare the oyster mushroom substrate and study its fruiting process, which is essential for releasing new spores to allow the fungus to produce mushrooms. RELATED STORIES: — SpaceX to launch 4 people on historic Fram2 mission over Earth's poles in late 2024 — Food in space: What do astronauts eat? — Inspiration4: The first all-civilian spaceflight on SpaceX Dragon The astronauts will closely monitor the development rate of the mushrooms (the fruiting bodies), look for signs of contamination and analyze various other growth characteristics. Following the mission, scientists at FOODiQ Global will analyze the mushrooms grown in space to study the effects of microgravity and compare the samples to those grown on Earth. "Successfully growing edible mushrooms in space represents a significant milestone for space exploration and sustainable nutrition," Ralph Fritsche, former space crop production/exploration food systems project manager for NASA and lead subject matter expert for NASA's Deep Space Food Challenge, said in the statement. "Mission MushVroom plays a crucial role in advancing sustainable space food production for long-duration missions — such as journeys to Mars — and offers valuable insights that can enhance global food security here on Earth. It really is groundbreaking."
Yahoo
30-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
SpaceX's Fram2 astronaut flight over Earth's poles will be the 1st to grow mushrooms in space
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Astronauts will attempt to grow mushrooms in space for the first time during SpaceX's upcoming Fram2 mission. Launching aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket as early as Monday (March 31), the Fram2 mission will be the first human spaceflight mission to fly over Earth's polar regions. It will carry a crew of four into a 90-degree orbit that will send them over both the North and South Poles. The Fram2 crew will attempt to grow oyster mushrooms in microgravity as part of an experiment called Mission MushVroom, which is led by the Australian company FOODiQ Global. Mushrooms could offer a nutritious, delicious and sustainable food source for long-duration missions to the moon, Mars and beyond, according to a statement from the company. "Mushrooms are the perfect space crop," FOODiQ Global CEO Flávia Fayet-Moore, who's leading the experiment, said in the statement. "Oyster mushrooms rapidly grow in small spaces, doubling in size daily, and are packed with a rich nutrient profile," added Fayet-Moore, who's also a space nutritionist. "Uniquely, they produce 100% of astronauts' daily dose of vitamin D when exposed to UV light, potentially replacing one of the key supplements currently given to them on the International Space Station." Related: Meet the astronauts of SpaceX's Fram2 mission, the 1st to fly over Earth's poles The Fram2 mission is led by Maltese entrepreneur Chun Wang. The other crewmembers include vehicle commander Jannicke Mikkelsen of Norway, Australia's Eric Philips, who's the medical officer and mission specialist, and pilot Rabea Rogge of Germany. This will be the first spaceflight for all four crewmembers. During the planned three-to-five-day SpaceX mission, the crew will conduct a series of research experiments centered around astronaut health, for which proper nutrition is key. The mushroom experiment will be conducted on the last day of the mission, led by Philips. "In space, food often tastes bland due to altered taste perception and the need for a low-sodium diet to help counteract the negative effects of microgravity on bone health," Flávia said in the statement. "Mushrooms are rich in umami flavor, being one of the only tastes that remains strong in space. Oyster mushrooms are also highly resilient, scalable and capable of growing using 100% of the inedible plant waste, and even cotton t-shirts in their growth medium." As part of the MushVroom experiment, the crew will prepare the oyster mushroom substrate and study its fruiting process, which is essential for releasing new spores to allow the fungus to produce mushrooms. RELATED STORIES: — SpaceX to launch 4 people on historic Fram2 mission over Earth's poles in late 2024 — Food in space: What do astronauts eat? — Inspiration4: The first all-civilian spaceflight on SpaceX Dragon The astronauts will closely monitor the development rate of the mushrooms (the fruiting bodies), look for signs of contamination and analyze various other growth characteristics. Following the mission, scientists at FOODiQ Global will analyze the mushrooms grown in space to study the effects of microgravity and compare the samples to those grown on Earth. "Successfully growing edible mushrooms in space represents a significant milestone for space exploration and sustainable nutrition," Ralph Fritsche, former space crop production/exploration food systems project manager for NASA and lead subject matter expert for NASA's Deep Space Food Challenge, said in the statement. "Mission MushVroom plays a crucial role in advancing sustainable space food production for long-duration missions — such as journeys to Mars — and offers valuable insights that can enhance global food security here on Earth. It really is groundbreaking."
The Guardian
25-03-2025
- Science
- The Guardian
‘Perfect space crop': Australian company to attempt to grow first mushrooms in orbit
An Australian company will attempt to be the first to grow a crop of mushrooms in space, aboard SpaceX's Fram2 mission set to launch in early April. In an experiment aboard Fram2, the first human spaceflight mission to orbit Earth's polar regions, the Australian firm FOODiQ Global is aiming to grow oyster mushrooms in microgravity. Launching from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Fram2 mission is planned to last between three and five days. The mushroom experiment will be conducted on the last day by the Australian adventurer Eric Philips. Phillips will be only the fourth Australian-born person to go to space, after Dr Paul Scully-Power and Dr Andy Thomas, who flew for Nasa as US citizens, and Dr Chris Boshuizen in 2021, whose suborbital journey aboard a Blue Origin vehicle lasted about 10 minutes. Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email FOODiQ Global's chief executive, Dr Flávia Fayet-Moore, described mushrooms as a 'perfect space crop', citing their fast growth, ability to be eaten raw and nutritional value. 'Because we don't have technology to process food in space yet … Nasa is currently prioritising research into 'grow, pick and eat' crops – things like lettuce, tomatoes and mushrooms,' she said. Mushrooms are one of the few foods that naturally contain vitamin D, which increases when they are exposed to ultraviolet light. 'They double in size every day,' Fayet-Moore said. 'They don't need a lot of inputs: they don't need any special fertilisers, they don't need a lot of water.' 'They also have potassium that's found in vegetables, but then they also have selenium and copper, which are typically found in nuts and seeds,' she said. 'It's a very versatile example of a nutrient-dense food.' Food and nutrition for lunar and Mars missions numbers among the top 30 priorities in Nasa's list of civil space challenges. It is not the first time fungi have been sent to space. Last August, an Australian experiment led by Swinburne University astrophysicists Dr Sara Webb and Dr Rebecca Allen sent vials containing lion's mane, turkey tail and Cordyceps to the International Space Station. The vials contained mycelia (root-like networks of fungi) but did not have adequate space for mushrooms (the fruiting bodies of the organisms) to grow. Aboard Fram2, if the mycelia fruit into oyster mushrooms, Philips will be responsible for documenting mushroom growth, crop yield and signs of contamination. Upon return to Earth, FOODiQ Global will analyse the mushrooms' nutritional content to see how microgravity affected their growth, comparing the results to control kits stored in Florida.
