Lettuce seeds that received intense radiation in Space are still edible, research has found, raising hopes that food fit for human consumption could one day be grown on Mars.
Around 2kg of rocket salad seeds were taken to the International Space Station for six months and returned in 2016.
Onboard they absorbed up to 100 times the radiation they would on earth and received “intense” vibrations from the strains of space travel.
On return they were planted across the UK and monitored in comparison to seeds that stayed on Earth.
While the space seeds did grow more slowly and were sensitive to ageing, they “were still viable” according to the UK government. Experts say that the research is evidence that, by taking sensible precautions, it should be possible to grow lettuce that is edible for humans in Space or on another planet such as Mars.
The seeds were sent up with British astronaut Tim Peake.
“When humans travel to Mars, they will need to find ways to feed themselves, and this research helps us understand some of the biology of seed storage and germination which will be vital for future space missions,” said Mr Peake, who went to Space with the European Space Agency.
The study was led by Professor Gerhard Leubner and Dr Jake Chandler from the biological sciences department at Royal Holloway University
“Transporting high quality seeds to space and beyond will be crucial for growing plants that support human exploration of space, Mars and other worlds,” Dr Chandler said.
Dr Chander said the research showed spaceflight accelerated the ageing process in the seeds.
“Thus, while we should carefully consider protecting seeds from potentially harmful factors including space radiation and mechanical vibration, the seeds remained alive, and the prospect of eating home-grown salad on Mars may be one small step closer,” he added.
The UK’s Royal Horticultural Society asked 600,000 children to help plant and monitor the seeds.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The years Ramadan fell in May
PROFILE BOX
Company name: Overwrite.ai
Founder: Ayman Alashkar
Started: Established in 2020
Based: Dubai International Financial Centre, Dubai
Sector: PropTech
Initial investment: Self-funded by founder
Funding stage: Seed funding, in talks with angel investors
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The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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Generation Start-up: Awok company profile
Started: 2013
Founder: Ulugbek Yuldashev
Sector: e-commerce
Size: 600 plus
Stage: still in talks with VCs
Principal Investors: self-financed by founder
Dolittle
Director: Stephen Gaghan
Stars: Robert Downey Jr, Michael Sheen
One-and-a-half out of five stars
My Cat Yugoslavia by Pajtim Statovci
Pushkin Press
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
How to donate
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
Six large-scale objects on show
- Concrete wall and windows from the now demolished Robin Hood Gardens housing estate in Poplar
- The 17th Century Agra Colonnade, from the bathhouse of the fort of Agra in India
- A stagecloth for The Ballet Russes that is 10m high – the largest Picasso in the world
- Frank Lloyd Wright’s 1930s Kaufmann Office
- A full-scale Frankfurt Kitchen designed by Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky, which transformed kitchen design in the 20th century
- Torrijos Palace dome
The Byblos iftar in numbers
29 or 30 days – the number of iftar services held during the holy month
50 staff members required to prepare an iftar
200 to 350 the number of people served iftar nightly
160 litres of the traditional Ramadan drink, jalab, is served in total
500 litres of soup is served during the holy month
200 kilograms of meat is used for various dishes
350 kilograms of onion is used in dishes
5 minutes – the average time that staff have to eat
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
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