The recent news from NASA to turn human waste into food for the astronauts had created buzz around the world. NASA has given funds to researchers to find out the benefits of recycling human wastes such as Urine and Faeces into food as these foods could be used by the astronauts on mission such as Mars etc .
Mark Blenner, professor in Chemical and Bio engineering department of Clemson University and his team were doing research in the process of genetically engineering yeast that would produce things which the astronauts would require during their deep and extended space journeys. Nitrogen which was needed in the production of yeast was found to be present in the human urine. As a result of this, the usage of urine and carbon dioxide as building blocks was considered by the researchers.
According to Professor Mark Blenner, a particular yeast strain could be manipulated by genetically engineered process and it could be used in the creation plastics/polymers used for 3D printing. The manipulation could also be done to produce Omega-3 fatty acids, which would lower the heart disease and also it would protect skin and hairs. The food for the yeast could be got from fatty acids that would be produced from the carbon.
It was confirmed that Professor Blenner system involved in the growth of the yeast would feed on nitrogen and these lipids and change them to Omega 3s and polymers. Blenner was also of the opinion that, the difficulty that existed in the longer space journeys was due to the lack of access to stores to procure the required items. According to NASA, this grant was one among the eight such grants given throughout USA. The main objective behind this grant was on the innovative early stage technologies that could be used to cater to the the requirements of long space travel.
Other grants like funding the solar cells which could sustain heat and give suitable thermal protection during the space journey was also given. NASA had done some research in the vegetation aspects also. It was confirmed that, astronauts at International Space Station ate lettuce that was grown on board. Apart from providing food for the astronauts during their travel, the vegetation would also be helpful to the astronauts in psychological aspects also.
As NASA was moving toward its objective of Mars Mission, where it wanted the people to land on Mars by 2030 , the space farming would play major role and it was more of necessity . Plants played crucial role in any life-support system during extended space travel and provided food and oxygen and also played crucial role in the processing of waste.
