Biotechnology for Space Farming

By Madalina Zheng

From sustainable ecosystems that generate oxygen to high-tech domes that protect against radiation, exoplanet biospheres in sci-fi movies show spectacular amounts of creativity. Although these artificial structures are pure fiction as of now, scientists are one step closer to making this a reality. Since plants are the foundation of every functional ecosystem, it is only logical that scientists start there. 

WBEEP

Proposed by Chinese scientists, the Whole-Body Edible and Elite Plant (WBEEP) project had the goal of making space farming, the act of growing plants in extraterrestrial environments, more efficient. The strategy aims to optimize nutrients that require the least possible amount of maintenance using plant biotechnology. Researchers also have the objective of developing plants with more edible parts, improving photosynthetic efficiency, and upgrading nutrient use within the organism. 

The Ideal Plant: Potatoes

Potatoes, the well-loved vegetable packed with carbohydrates and nutrients, is a primary candidate for space farming. Along with being easy to grow and having a high tolerance against harsh conditions, potatoes also reproduce asexually, meaning that they don’t require another parent plant to reproduce. This means that only a singular potato is needed to start a colony, making it a stable source of food.

However, potatoes have one major flaw: they produce a substance called solanine, which, when exposed to sunlight, causes potatoes to turn green. When consumed in large amounts, solanine is toxic to humans. 

Solanine is found in the stems, leaves, and berries of the potato plant, which deems those parts inedible. Researchers at WBEEP are working on methods to regulate the production of solanine by  inserting tomato genes into potatoes to make the ideal plant — edible leaves, nutritious fruit, with the potato root acting as the staple food in the diet. 

Conclusion

Prior to the establishment of WBEEP, only leafy greens such as lettuce have been grown on the International Space Station. Scientists plan to continue experimenting with a diverse set of plants, which can one day be grown on the spacecraft for long-term space missions. They hope to eventually use their findings to assist in space colonization on other planets, making the sci-fi stories come true. 

References:

Liu, Yongming, et al. “Biotechnological Development of Plants for Space Agriculture.” Nature Communications, vol. 12, no. 1, 14 Oct. 2021, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-26238-3.

NASA. “Growing Plants in Space - NASA.” NASA, NASA, 9 June 2023, www.nasa.gov/exploration-research-and-technology/growing-plants-in-space/.

“Scientists Identify Biotech Techniques to Improve Space Agriculture.” Crop Biotech Update, 2021, www.isaaa.org/kc/cropbiotechupdate/article/default.asp?ID=19064. Accessed 14 Apr. 2025.