Microbes used to convert human waste into space food

Washington: Scientists have developed a method for converting human waste into a potential food source that may be used by astronauts during deep space missions to Mars and beyond The researchers at Pennsylvania State University in the US have shown it is possible to rapidly break down solid and liquid waste to grow food with a series of microbial reactors, while simultaneously minimising pathogen growth. "We envisioned and tested the concept of simultaneously treating astronauts' waste with microbes while producing a biomass that is edible either directly or indirectly depending on safety concerns," said Christopher House, professor of geosciences at Penn State. The study published in the journal Life Sciences in Space Research addresses multiple challenges facing deep- space missions to Mars or beyond, which would likely to take months or years. Bringing enough food from Earth takes up volume and increases the mass and fuel cost of the spacecraft, while growing food in route using hydroponic or other methods would be an energyand water- intensive process that takes up valuable room. To test their idea, the researchers used an artificial solid and liquid waste that is commonly used in waste management tests. They created an enclosed, cylindrical system, four feet long by four inches in diameter, in which select microbes came into contact with the waste. The microbes broke down waste using anaerobic digestion, a process similar to the way humans digest food.— PTI