CSUN Professor Secured $700,000 for Space Agriculture
The grants support research into growing greens in space and drought-resistant crops for Earth.
Updated on Sept. 22, 2026 in Botany
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California State University, Northridge researcher Chhandak Basu has received $700,000 in NASA grants to study plant and microbial growth in microgravity and simulated Martian and lunar soil. The project focuses on developing fresh food alternatives for space travel while also addressing agricultural resilience on Earth.
Why it matters
This research aims to replace packaged astronaut meals with fresh produce while simultaneously creating methods to sustain agriculture in drought-prone environments. By leveraging space-based stressors, the team seeks to uncover biological mechanisms applicable to both extraterrestrial habitats and terrestrial climate adaptation.
The study utilizes a clinostat—a device that rotates samples to negate gravitational pull—to simulate space environments. Researchers are currently evaluating the growth of lettuce, spinach, and mustard greens alongside the microbe Halobacterium salinarum in specialized soil conditions.
The players
Chhandak Basu
A professor at California State University, Northridge, who leads research on plant growth and microbial resilience.
NASA Ames Research Center
A research laboratory in Silicon Valley focused on astrobiology and the development of technologies for space exploration.
Craig Everroad
A research scientist at NASA Ames Research Center who partners with university teams to study space biology.
The details
To mimic space conditions in a laboratory setting, the team employs a clinostat to continuously rotate biological samples, effectively canceling out the directional influence of Earth's gravity. The research investigates how these plants interact with microbes residing in the root zone, particularly within simulated Martian and lunar soils. By studying these interactions, researchers aim to identify how specific biological pathways allow vegetation to persist despite extreme drought and altered gravitational states.
Timeline
September 22, 2026: The university announced the receipt of the two NASA grants.
The Tech Race
This project integrates with the broader goals of NASA Ames Research Center's space biology program to secure sustainable life support for long-term space missions. The study extends existing research into space-based agriculture by applying findings from extreme-environment microbes to improve crop yields on Earth.
The funding provides stipends and research roles for two to three students at California State University, Northridge. While the research is in the laboratory phase, the insights into drought-resistant plants are expected to inform future agricultural techniques for local residents and farmers.
The takeaway
The research serves as a critical bridge between deep-space life support and sustainable food production for a warming planet. Readers should watch for future publications from the Northridge team detailing the specific growth markers of the mustard greens in simulated lunar soil.
Further reading
Learn more about agricultural advancements in our Botany coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by My News LA.
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