Growing Beyond Earth 2026 Student Research Symposium

Hydrogel /Root-Zone Substrate Research

Curry, A. B., Spern, C. J., Khodadad, C. L. M., Hummerick, M. E., Spencer, L. E., Torres, J., Finn, J. R., Gooden, J. L., & Monje, O. (2024). Post-harvest cleaning, sanitization, and microbial monitoring of soilless nutrient delivery systems for sustainable space crop production. Frontiers in Plant Science, 15, 1308150. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2024.1308150

Davis, R. A., Mafune, K. K., & Winkler, M. K. H. (2025). Biodegradable hydrogels and microbial consortia as a treatment for soil dysbiosis. Frontiers in microbiology, 16, 1565940. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2025.1565940

Hasenstein, K. H., & Miklave, N. M. (2024). Hydroponics for plant cultivation in space – a white paper. Life Sciences in Space Research, 43, 13-21. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lssr.2024.06.004

Li, J., Xie, J., Wu, Q., Wu, G., & Men, Y. (2025). 3D-printed hydrogel substrates with tailored pore architectures enhance root development and elicit species-specific growth responses. Chemical Engineering Journal, 512, 162425. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2025.162425.

Muhammad Shahidul Islam, Dylan Sproule, Jessica Yohans, Pansit Chenananporn, EvelynYim, Arvind Gupta, Tizazu H. Mekonnen (2025). Citric acid - crosslinked cellulose derivatives superabsorbent hydrogels (SAH) as sustainable alternatives for personal hygiene applications. Chemical Engineering Journal, Volume 526, 2025, 170721, ISSN1385-8947. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2025.170721

Naeem, A., Yu, C., Wang, X., Peng, M., Liu, Y., & Liu, Y. (2023). Hydroxyethyl Cellulose-Based Hydrogels as Controlled Release Carriers for Amorphous Solid Dispersion of Bioactive Components of Radix Paeonia Alba. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland), 28(21), 7320. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28217320

Nasution, H., Harahap, H., Dalimunthe, N. F., Ginting, M. H. S., Jaafar, M., Tan, O. O. H., Aruan, H. K., & Herfananda, A. L. (2022). Hydrogel and Effects of Crosslinking Agent on Cellulose-Based Hydrogels: A Review. Gels (Basel, Switzerland), 8(9), 568. https://doi.org/10.3390/gels8090568

Peyrusson, F. (2021). Hydrogels improve plant growth in Mars analog conditions. Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences, 8, 729278. https://doi.org/10.3389.fspas.2021.729278

Tang, T. C., Tham, E., Liu, X., Yehl, K., Rovner, A. J., Yuk, H., de la Fuente-Nunez, C., Isaacs, F. J., Zhao, X., & Lu, T. K. (2021). Hydrogel-based biocontainment of bacteria for continuous sensing and computation. Nature chemical biology,17(6),724–731. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41589-021-00779-6

Space Crop Production / NASA Context

Fountain, L. L., Gilliham, M., Amitrano, C., Arouna, N., Barker, R. J., Böhmer, M., Braun, M., Brereton, N. J. B., Brocato, R. L., Bunchek, J. M., Canaday, E. L. J., Caplin, N., Castaño, P., Chamberlain, C., Decourteix, M., Del Bianco, M., De Micco, V., Doherty, C. J., Franke, M. F., ... Blancaflor, E. B. (2026). Expanding frontiers: Harnessing plant biology for space exploration and planetary sustainability. New Phytologist, 249, 656–669. https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.70662

Hitt, M. E., Cai, S., Nix, G., Patel, S., & Tsay, L. S. (2025). Balancing nutrient content and nitrate levels in space agriculture: Investigating LED light and CO2 effects on space-grown leafy green vegetables. Gravitational and Space Research, 13(1),103-120. https://doi.org/10.2478/gsr-2025-0008.

Massa, G. D., Wheeler, R. M., Morrow, R. C., & Levine, H. G. (2016). Growth Chambers on the International Space Station for Large Plants. https://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/20160006558 

Massa, G. D., Richards, J., Spencer, L., Hummerick, M., Stutte, G., Wheeler, R., Douglas, G., & Sirmons, T. (2015). Selection of leafy green vegetable varieties for a Pick-and-Eat diet supplement on ISS. NASA Technical Reports Server. https://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/20150018899

Massa, G. D., Newsham, G., Hummerick, M. E., Morrow, R. C., & Wheeler, R. M. (2017). Plant pillow preparation for the Veggie plant growth system on the International Space Station. Gravitational and Space Research 5(1): 24–34. https://doi.org/10.2478/gsr-2017-0002

Morsi, A., Massa, G. D., Morrow, R. C., Wheeler, R. M., & Mitchell, C. A. (2022). Comparison of two controlled-release fertilizer formulations for cut-and-come-again harvest yield and mineral content of Lactuca sativa L. cv. Outredgeous grown under International Space Station environmental conditions. Life Sciences in Space Research, 32, 71–78. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lssr.2021.12.00

National Aeronautics and Space Administration. (n.d.). Ohalo III, the first operational crop production system and prototype for a Mars transit vehicle (Ohalo). NASA TechPort. https://techport.nasa.gov/projects/97036

Nguyen, B., Massa, G. D., Hummerick, M. E., & Wheeler, R. M. (2011). VEGGIE Pillow Testing: Microbial analysis of Cut-and-Come-Again species testing. NASA Technical Reports Server. https://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/20110015866

Romeyn, M. W., Spencer. L. E.,  Massa, G. D., & Wheeler, R. M. (2019) Crop readiness level (CRL): A scale to track progression of crop testing

for space. 49th International Conference on Environmental Systems, July 2019, Boston, MA. NASA Technical Report KSC-E-DAA-TN63641. https://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/20190027123

Wheeler,  R. M., Spencer, L.E., Bhuiyan, R. H., Mickens, M. A., Bunchek, J. M., van Santen, E., Massa, G. D., & Romeyn, M. W (2024) Effects of elevated and super-elevated carbon dioxide on salad crops for space. Journal of Plant Interactions 19(1): 2292219. https://do.orgi:10.1080/17429145.2023.2292219