 The V3PO project, supported by BASF, is a student research project on space farming, which will research the effects of microgravity in growing plantlet cuttings with the objective of seeing if vegetative propagation of plants is possible in space to generate fresh food for space missions without having to carry large amounts of seed. |
Zero Gravity Solutions, Inc., an agricultural biotechnology public company commercializing its technology derived from and designed for Space with significant applications for agriculture on Earth, announced that its research experiment using its BAM-FXmicronutrient product was successfully delivered today to the International Space Station (ISS) on the SpaceXCRS-10 Dragon cargo resupply mission launched February 19, 2017 from historic pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center.
In collaboration with NASA and Intrinsyx Technologies Corporation (ITC), the BAM-FX experiments, led by two plant stress physiologists, Dr. John Freeman of ITC and Dr. David Bubenheim (NASA Biospheric Science Branch code SGE), will study the growth and nutritional effects of our patented micronutrient product BAM-FX in broccoli seedlings in microgravity.
The focus of two separate, but related experiments, BAM-FX and V3PO (Vegetative Propagation of Plants in Orbit) are focused on advancing the science necessary to promote the growth of fresh, nutrient-dense food for astronauts on long-duration space missions. This experimental flight opportunity is made available by NanoRacks, LLC via its Space Act Agreement with NASA's U.S. National Lab on the International Space Station.
BAM-FX (Bio-Available Minerals-Formula X), a product manufactured and marketed by ZGSI's wholly owned subsidiary, BAM Agricultural Solutions, is a solution of special ionic minerals, which can not only correct nutrient deficiencies, but may also increase yield, quality and nutrition with less inputs, by-products and waste.
The patented platform technology was originally developed as a way to promote growth of strong plants for astronauts on long duration Space missions, but has shown dramatic results when applied to the agricultural industry here on Earth.
The principal aim of the BAM-FX experiment on the ISS is to investigate the possibility to improve nutraceutical crop plant growth at zero gravity and produce large quantities of high quality Zinc bio-fortified broccoli on a space station, thereby ensuring astronauts on long mission a continuous supply of zinc enriched, fresh, anti-carcinogenic cruciferous vegetables. Zinc is important not just for plants to cope with several environmental stresses, but also for human immune system function and cancer inhibition.
The V3PO project, supported by BASF, is a student research project on space farming, which will research the effects of microgravity in growing plantlet cuttings with the objective of seeing if vegetative propagation of plants is possible in space to generate fresh food for space missions without having to carry large amounts of seed.
V3PO and BAM-FX will share two habitats inside a 1.5U NanoRacks facility compatible cube structure. The Intrinsyx hardware was already flown on SpX-3 named AFEx but slightly modified (introduction of second habitat) for V3PO and BAM-FX joint educational plant growth experiments.
Once the BAM-FX experiment returns from the 25-30 day mission on the ISS, the BAM-FX cube with seedlings will come to NASA Ames, where it will be analyzed by Dr. John Freeman and Dr. David Bubenheim and the students involved in the experiment from the International Space Station Science Program at Valley Christian High School. Results are expected to take about a month to process.
"The upcoming BAM-FX experiment on the ISS represents an opportunity to go back to our roots, literally and figuratively, to further validate this new science by significantly advancing how fresh, nutrient-dense food is grown on long-duration space missions," stated Harvey Kaye, ZGSI's Chairman of the Board.
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