DOES MICROGRAVITY AFFECT THE GROWTH OF A GLYCINE MAX PLANT? Principal Investigator:Josh Ebesugawa Waiakea Intermediate School Hilo, Hawaii

The Problem: High cost involved in sending an astronaut into space In 2016, Russia will charge NASA $71,000,000 to transport one astronaut to the ISS Space food Needs to be treated prior to being transported into space Very little fresh food is taken into space; needs to be eaten within the first few days in order to prevent spoilage High cost involved in preparing space food.

The Research Reason: Plants can grow in space, however we are not good at it yet. Plants face many challenges: Exposing plants to sufficient light is difficult Circulating the nutrients through the roots of the plant is challenging More research is necessary to determine the most effective and efficient ways to germinate seeds and grow plants in space Fresh food for astronauts Fresh food available at all times during missions Less food will need to be transported into space More space on shuttle for other necessities Shuttles could be designed smaller and to be more efficient

Benefits of Glycine max (Soybeans): Soybeans are the only plants that contain a complete protein Soybeans are a good source of calcium The astronauts need a calcium rich diet due to the lack of gravity. This causes the bones and muscles to become weak thus the need for calcium. Soybeans are high in fiber and protein Soybeans contain many vitamins and minerals Soybeans are not difficult to grow and they only take on average 3 months from planting to harvesting. The Envy variety only takes 75 days to bear fruit

The Experiment: Materials for 1 tube (5 tubes total, 1 experiment, 4 control) 3 Glycine max seeds, approximately 1.5 mL each 3.10 mL of sterilized soil 1.03 mL of fertilizer (equal parts of peat moss, vermiculite, and perlite Deionized water 1 tube 2 clamps Pipette Scale Notebook Sharpie green and blue 2 zip-ties Green and blue tape

Conclusions: There were no significant changes in any of the 15 Glycine max seeds No seeds germinated There may have been an insufficient amount of water There may have been enough water for one or two seeds to germinate, but not for three seeds There may not have been enough space in the tubes for the seeds to germinate There may have been problems with the soil and/or fertilizer. The proportion of soil to fertilizer may not have been conducive to seed germination. Impact: Researching plant growth in microgravity is a worthwhile investment of our time and resources The long term benefits of this research will have a positive and lasting effect on the advancements in space exploration

Acknowledgements: Lead: Waiakea Intermediate School Hawaii Public Schools, Hilo/Waiakea Complex Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS) National Center for Earth and Space Science Education Big Island Toyota County of Hawaii, Department of Research and Development Hawaii Island Economic Development Board, Inc. Thirty Meter Telescope Ben Franklin Crafts/Hilo Ace Hardware To all Partner Institutions, “Mahalo Nui Loa.”