France: Sponsors needed to grow tomatoes in space

A team of Chilean and French scientists are looking for sponsors to grow tomatoes on the ISS to better understand how they can adapt to extreme conditionsUnder the current scenario of global climate change, the discovery and characterization of plant species adapted to extreme environmental conditions has become increasingly important. Desert plants have naturally evolved to flourish under such conditions. Therefore, understanding the underlying mechanisms for their adaptation can potentially help to ensure food security. To address this question, we take advantage of a unique natural laboratory, the Atacama Desert. Despite extreme drought, nutrient-poor soils and high radiation levels, a diverse set of plant species manage to grow there. Among them, some species even served as food for local inhabitants, which is a focus of our studies. These plant species represent an outstanding model system to (i) identify mechanisms for extreme abiotic conditions and (ii) serve to develop new ...