Lettuce helps astronauts improve health during long-term mission to Mars

Become astronaut is the dream of many people, but working in a zero-gravity environment for a long time causes astronauts to suffer certain impacts that affect their health. health.

During flights, working long days out spacethe zero gravity environment causes one of the serious problems for astronauts that is reduced bone density, osteoporosis makes bones weaker and increases the risk of fractures.

According to NASA, studies of astronauts who spent many months on the Mir space station previously showed that space travelers can lose an average of 1 to 2% of their bone mass per day. month.

To counter this effect, astronauts on the International Space Station ISS have certain exercise regimens and usually do not stay longer than 6 months.

However, scientists have recently found a way to protect astronauts and limit bone loss during long-term space missions.

Going forward, NASA is planning to send humans to Mars around the 2030s. This is a mission that will last at least three years and will put them at higher risk of osteoporosis.

Scientists from the University of California have developed a genetically modified lettuce that can be grown in space to both improve meals and produce a hormone that stimulates the bones of astronauts. The lettuce has been genetically modified to produce PTH.

Somen Nandi, one of the study’s authors, said: “Astronauts carry several thousand very small transgenic seeds in jars the size of a thumb and grow them like regular lettuce.”

It is estimated that astronauts will need about 8 cups, or 380 grams of lettuce per day, to get enough hormones. A standard bunch of lettuce weighs about 300 grams.

“One of the things we’re doing right now is to screen all of these transgenic lettuce lines to find the line with the highest PTH-Fc expression,” said project researcher Dr Karen McDonald. . Some of the types we observed were on average 10-12 mg/kg, but we think we can find further increases.”

There is currently no official taste test with this lettuce due to safety restrictions, but the team says it tastes a lot like the regular vegetable.

The team is planning to send their transgenic lettuce seeds to the ISS to see how they grow in space.