2. Waste recycling on BLSS Waste biomass Higher plants cultivation on Earth

3. Biomass composition Plant species Type of tissue Growth conditions, i.e. light intensity Waste biomass and the biorefinery concept Use biomass to obtain the most valuable product Plants on BLSS Food production We can take food out of waste

4. non structural carbohydrates structural carbohydrates lipids proteins ash lignin organic acids ? Waste biomass that can be recovered as food cellulose and hemicellulose chemical and enzymatic methods simple sugars (digestible)

5. AIMS characterize 2 different plant tissues (waste biomass: strawberry and sweet potato leaves) collected at 2 different light intensity ranges; verify to what extent the digestible fraction of waste biomass could be potentially increased. AIMS characterize 2 different plant tissues (waste biomass: strawberry and sweet potato leaves) collected at 2 different light intensity ranges; verify to what extent the digestible fraction of waste biomass could be potentially increased. Chemical methods: use of acid; Recycling is difficult. Chemical methods: use of acid; Recycling is difficult. Enzymatic methods: More controllable; Slower and less complete. Enzymatic methods: More controllable; Slower and less complete.

6. Lunar Greenhouse at the Controlled Environment Agriculture Center (CEAC, Tucson, University of Arizona) Lunar Greenhouse at the Controlled Environment Agriculture Center (CEAC, Tucson, University of Arizona) Leaf disks sampling and light intensity measurement inside the Lunar Greenhouse. Light intensity: 800-1000 (high light) and 20-40 (low light) μmol quanta m -2 s -1 Leaf disks sampling and light intensity measurement inside the Lunar Greenhouse. Light intensity: 800-1000 (high light) and 20-40 (low light) μmol quanta m -2 s -1

7. anion exchange chromatograph and HPLC for the analysis of carbohydrates and organic acids Spectrophotometric measurement of chlorophyll Extraction of plant tissue components Acid hydrolysis: structural polysaccharides degradation and lignin determination

8. Proteins, chlorophyll, non-structural carbohydrates and organic acids in sweet potato and strawberry leaves under high and low light intensity (two way ANOVA)

9. Sweet potato leaves before acid hydrolysis Sweet potato leaves after acid hydrolysis Insoluble lignin hemicellulose Cellulose Ethanol extractives Water extractives starch Structural polysaccharides …become monomeric sugars! Insoluble lignin Ethanol extractives Water extractives starch glucose soluble lignin The digestible fraction was increased from about 50% to about 70% of the dry matter…to be tested in BLSS conditions… galactose Mannose Arabinose Xylose