Off-world Living Through Plants for Space (P4S)

Imagine being stranded on a desert island in the middle of nowhere, having to survive off whatever you can find. Now picture an extreme level where there are no plants, animals, oxygen, and very little sunlight. Well, this daunting scenario is what space-faring humans will face as we start to settle on the moon, Mars, and beyond.

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Settling off-world presents a whole set of unique challenges. For example, the vast distances separating Earth and future off-world colonies will make it impractical for humans to constantly resupply these settlements with food and medicine.  The immense financial and logistical challenges, along with long wait times for needed supplies, require a more sustainable approach with the capability for off-world colonists to generate their own food and basic medicine. To achieve this level of self-sufficiency, great advancements in plant science and engineering are required. One group stepping up to the challenge is the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Plants for Space (P4S), led by Professor Matthew Gilliham from the University of Adelaide. Working collaboratively with AGRF, their ambitious program of work will develop technologies that will sustain humans for extended periods of time in space, on the moon, and on other planets.

Professor Gilliham has assembled an international, multi-disciplinary team comprising of experts in molecular plant biology, medicinal agriculture, biotechnology, food production and bioprocessing, nutrition, space engineering, psychology, space law, and international space agencies such as NASA and the Australian Space Agency. Together, they will harness AGRF’s 25 years of genomics expertise to improve and characterise plants that are specifically designed for space and which may have uses other than for food. This impressive team will work towards milestones that align with NASA’s Moon-to-Mars mission planned for 2039 and it is anticipated that the P4S initiative will officially commence in January 2024.

AGRF is thrilled to be a part of this pioneering research, working on innovative and practical solutions with P4S to support off-world settlements living in extreme environments. Furthermore, and importantly, many of the centre outputs will also offer more sustainable alternatives for the production of food, materials and medicines on Earth through biomanufacturing in plants. Collaborations such as this demonstrate how organisations and experts can come together to tackle profound challenges and we are honoured to be an official P4S partner. Watch this space!