Space food: Scientists engineer dwarf protein-rich “Moon Rice” for astronaut diets

Scientists are exploring experimental biology to grow rice in space that can cope with microgravity and provide fresh food on extended space missions. The goal is to have a sustainable, protein-rich “future food crop” that supports astronauts’ nutrition in space while also growing in extreme environments on Earth.

The “Moon-Rice” project uses CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing to manipulate rice plants, making them “super-dwarfed” to grow to just 10 cm. This addresses the challenge of limited space on future deep-space outposts, such as the Moon or Mars.

It is led by the Italian Space Agency, in collaboration with three universities: the University of Milan (focused on rice genetics), the University of Rome Sapienza (specialized in crop physiology), and the University of Naples Federico II (heritage in space crop production).

“Living in space is all about recycling resources and living sustainably,” says Marta Del Bianco, a plant biologist at the Italian Space Agency. “We are trying to solve the same problems that we face here on Earth.”

“Researchers at the University of Milan are isolating mutant rice varieties that can grow to just 10 cm high, so they’re tiny and this is a great starting point. At the same time, Rome has identified genes that can alter the plant architecture to maximize production and growth efficiency.”

Additionally, since meat production will be “too inefficient” for resource and space-limited space habitats, Bianco and her team are looking into enriching the protein content of the rice by increasing the ratio of “protein-rich embryo to starch.”

Collection of CRISPR-Cas mutagenized rice plants (Image credit: University of Milan).

Defying microgravity

Bianco emphasizes that the current size of crops grown on Earth poses a significant challenge, with many available dwarf rice varieties still being “too big to be grown reliably in space.”

“Dwarf varieties often come from the manipulation of a plant hormone called gibberellin, which can reduce the height of the plant, but this also creates problems for seed germination. They’re not an ideal crop, because in space, you just don’t have to be small, you must also be productive.”

Bianco’s focus is on how the rice plants will cope with micro-gravity. “We simulate micro-gravity on Earth by continually rotating the plant so that the plant is pulled equally in all directions by gravity. Each side of the plant gets activated continuously, and it doesn’t know where the up and down is,” she explains. 

“It’s the best we can do on Earth because, unfortunately, doing experiments in real microgravity conditions, i.e., in space, is complex and expensive.”

Enhancing astronaut health

The researchers note that space exploration depends on Earth-based resupplies, mostly pre-prepared meals lacking fresh ingredients. A reliable food source rich in vitamins, antioxidants, and fiber is essential to counteract space’s adverse health effects and ensure good physical and mental health for astronauts.

The four-year project focuses on moving beyond pre-cooked and packaged space meals.“Watching and guiding plants to grow is good for humans, and while pre-cooked or mushy food can be fine for a short period of time, it could become a concern for longer-duration missions,” says Bianco.

Besides space explorers, the team also expects the project to support plant growth in controlled environments on Earth.

“If you can develop a robust crop for space, then it could be used at the Arctic and Antarctic poles, in deserts, or places with only a small amount of indoor space available,” concludes Bianco.

The team presented the research at the Society for Experimental Biology Annual Conference in Antwerp, Belgium, earlier this month.