From moon dust to moon soil, Martian landscapes to thriving greenhouses, the future of space travel depends on agriculture! Researchers throughout the College are tackling challenges to feeding astronauts and finding unique ways to grow food in the most challenging environments yet. 🚀 The Texas A&M University Department of Soil and Crop Sciences and The Texas A&M University Department of Horticultural Sciences are sowing the seeds of agriculture in space by exploring innovative ways to transform toxic lunar and Martian dust into farmable soil. Graduate researcher Jessica Atkin even made the first-ever moondust-grown chickpeas! tx.ag/MoonDustAg If we want to use plants for food and oxygen, we need to make sure they can last. The Shippen lab in the Texas A&M University Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics is studying how space radiation affects the protective caps on chromosomes called telomeres, a health and longevity marker. Her lab has even looked at plants that have been sen...