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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 109 records · Page 6
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2009

Spinoff 2009

Topics covered include: Image-Capture Devices Extend Medicine's Reach; Medical Devices Assess, Treat Balance Disorders; NASA Bioreactors Advance Disease Treatments; Robotics Algorithms Provide Nutritional Guidelines; "Anti-Gravity" Treadmills Speed Rehabilitation; Crew Management Processes Revitalize Patient Care; Hubble Systems Optimize Hospital Schedules; Web-based Programs Assess Cognitive Fitness; Electrolyte Concentrates Treat Dehydration; Tools Lighten Designs, Maintain Structural Integrity; Insulating Foams Save Money, Increase Safety; Polyimide Resins Resist Extreme Temperatures; Sensors Locate Radio Interference; Surface Operations Systems Improve Airport Efficiency; Nontoxic Resins Advance Aerospace Manufacturing; Sensors Provide Early Warning of Biological Threats; Robot Saves Soldier's Lives Overseas (MarcBot); Apollo-Era Life Raft Saves Hundreds of Sailors; Circuits Enhance Scientific Instruments and Safety Devices; Tough Textiles Protect Payloads and Public Safety Officers; Forecasting Tools Point to Fishing Hotspots; Air Purifiers Eliminate Pathogens, Preserve Food; Fabrics Protect Sensitive Skin from UV Rays; Phase Change Fabrics Control Temperature; Tiny Devices Project Sharp, Colorful Images; Star-Mapping Tools Enable Tracking of Endangered Animals; Nanofiber Filters Eliminate Contaminants; Modeling Innovations Advance Wind Energy Industry; Thermal Insulation Strips Conserve Energy; Satellite Respondent Buoys Identify Ocean Debris; Mobile Instruments Measure Atmospheric Pollutants; Cloud Imagers Offer New Details on Earth's Health; Antennas Lower Cost of Satellite Access; Feature Detection Systems Enhance Satellite Imagery; Chlorophyll Meters Aid Plant Nutrient Management; Telemetry Boards Interpret Rocket, Airplane Engine Data; Programs Automate Complex Operations Monitoring; Software Tools Streamline Project Management; Modeling Languages Refine Vehicle Design; Radio Relays Improve Wireless Products; Advanced Sensors Boost Optical Communication, Imaging; Tensile Fabrics Enhance Architecture Around the World; Robust Light Filters Support Powerful Imaging Devices; Thermoelectric Devices Cool, Power Electronics; Innovative Tools Advance Revolutionary Weld Technique; Methods Reduce Cost, Enhance Quality of Nanotubes; Gauging Systems Monitor Cryogenic Liquids; Voltage Sensors Monitor Harmful Static; and Compact Instruments Measure Heat Potential.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2024

Rapid Composting of Crop Space Waste

This project processed multiple types of waste simulant feedstocks using commercial composting units and NASA Trash-to-Gas (TtG) technology processing units to see what solids, liquids, and gases could be recovered. The feedstock waste included inedible biomass, mission waste from the Johnson Space Center (JSC) Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog (CHAPEA), Mars analog, and the long duration Orbital Syngas/Commodity Augmentation Reactor (OSCAR) Waste Simulant (OWS) and OSCAR Full Scale (FS) (also referred to as Mars 850-day mission waste simulant). The performance data was collected, and overall performance of the waste processing systems, as well as elemental analysis of the product yields for enabling Lunar and Martian regolith mixtures in a crop grow-out study, were performed. Germination took place in certain Lunar and Martian regolith studies, with promising preliminary results that TtG solid products can be used as plant nutrients to enable crop growth in off-world regolith simulants.

Anne Meier↗
NASA NTRS1982

Plant growth in controlled environments in response to characteristics of nutrient solutions

Plant growth in controlled environments in response to characteristics of nutrient solutions is discussed. Descriptions of experimental results concerning root acclimation to temperature, root and shoot acclimation to nitrogen stress, and growth response to NH4(+) and NO3(-) nutrition are included. A preliminary model validation to changing temperatures is presented.

Raper, C. D., Jr.↗
DOE OSTI2026

Effect of glutathione-coated Mn-doped ZnS quantum dots on nutrient delivery in basil ( Ocimum basilicum ) plants

Ensuring efficient nutrient delivery while minimizing environmental impacts remains a significant challenge for modern agriculture. Nanotechnology-based fertilizers offer promising strategies to improve nutrient uptake and bioavailability in plants. This research aims to evaluate the use of Glutathione-coated Manganese-doped Zinc Sulfide quantum dots (GSH-ZnS-Mn QDs) as a potential nano fertilizer for basil (Ocimum basilicum). QDs' physicochemical properties were characterized using UV–Vis spectroscopy, photoluminescence, FTIR, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, confirming successful Mn doping and glutathione surface functionalization. Basil plants were exposed to different concentrations of GSH-ZnS-Mn QDs under soil and hydroponic conditions. Plant growth parameters, oxidative stress responses, photosynthetic pigments, and macro- and micronutrient uptake were assessed using biochemical assays and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). Elemental uptake, spatial distribution, and zinc speciation were further investigated using synchrotron-based micro-X-ray fluorescence (μ-XRF) imaging and X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy. Results show that exposure to GSH-ZnS-Mn QDs resulted in a concentration-dependent increase in leaf and stem biomass, accompanied by enhanced Zn accumulation in plant tissues. Catalase activity decreased across all tested concentrations, suggesting a shift toward glutathione-dependent antioxidant pathways rather than oxidative damage. Chlorophyll levels exhibited moderate reductions at higher concentrations. The higher increase in macronutrient (K, Ca, and Mg) uptake was reported in plants exposed to 200 ppm of QDs. μ-XRF imaging indicated a selective accumulation of Zn in roots and stems, with partial translocation to leaves. XANES analyses revealed that Zn from QDs was mainly converted into organic Zn species, such as Zn-phytate, Zn-acetate, and Zn-cysteine, indicating transformation and complexation within the plant. The findings demonstrate that a glutathione coating on GSH-ZnS-Mn QDs improves biocompatibility and nutrient delivery efficiency. These results highlight the relevance of surface functionalization in regulating nanoparticle fate, transformation, and nutrient bioavailability, supporting the potential application of GSH–ZnS–Mn QDs as modern nano fertilizers.

Basil↗
NASA NTRS2015

Plant Biomass Leaching for Nutrient Recovery in Closed Loop Systems Project

Plants will be important for food and O2 production during long term human habitation in space. Recycling of nutrients (e.g., from waste materials) could reduce the resupply costs of fertilizers for growing these plants. Work at NASA's Kennedy Space Center has shown that ion exchange resins can extract fertilizer (plant essential nutrients) from human waste water, after which the residual brine could be treated with electrodialysis to recover more water and produce high value chemicals (e.g., acids and bases). In habitats with significant plant production, inedible biomass becomes a major source of solid waste. To "close the loop" we also need to recover useful nutrients and fertilizer from inedible biomass. We are investigating different approaches to retrieve nutrients from inedible plant biomass, including physical leaching with water, processing the biomass in bioreactors, changing the pH of leaching processing, and/or conducting multiple leaches of biomass residues.

Technology Portfolio System↗
NASA NTRS1996

Varying plant density and harvest time to optimize cowpea leaf yield and nutrient content

Plant density and harvest time were manipulated to optimize vegetative (foliar) productivity of cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.] canopies for future dietary use in controlled ecological life-support systems as vegetables or salad greens. Productivity was measured as total shoot and edible dry weights (DW), edible yield rate [(EYR) grams DW per square meter per day], shoot harvest index [(SHI) grams DW per edible gram DW total shoot], and yield-efficiency rate [(YER) grams DW edible per square meter per day per grams DW nonedible]. Cowpeas were grown in a greenhouse for leaf-only harvest at 14, 28, 42, 56, 84, or 99 plants/m2 and were harvested 20, 30, 40, or 50 days after planting (DAP). Shoot and edible dry weights increased as plant density and time to harvest increased. A maximum of 1189 g shoot DW/m2 and 594 g edible DW/m2 were achieved at an estimated plant density of 85 plants/m2 and harvest 50 DAP. EYR also increased as plant density and time to harvest increased. An EYR of 11 g m-2 day-1 was predicted to occur at 86 plants/m2 and harvest 50 DAP. SHI and YER were not affected by plant density. However, the highest values of SHI (64%) and YER (1.3 g m-2 day-1 g-1) were attained when cowpeas were harvested 20 DAP. The average fat and ash contents [dry-weight basis (dwb)] of harvested leaves remained constant regardless of harvest time. Average protein content increased from 25% DW at 30 DAP to 45% DW at 50 DAP. Carbohydrate content declined from 50% DW at 30 DAP to 45% DW at 50 DAP. Total dietary fiber content (dwb) of the leaves increased from 19% to 26% as time to harvest increased from 20 to 50 days.

NASA Discipline Life Support Systems↗
DOE OSTI2024

Plant responses to elevated CO 2 under competing hypotheses of nitrogen and phosphorus limitations

Abstract The future ecosystem carbon cycle has important implications for biosphere‐climate feedback. The magnitude of future plant growth and carbon accumulation depends on plant strategies for nutrient uptake under the stresses of nitrogen (N) versus phosphorus (P) limitations. Two archetypal theories have been widely acknowledged in the literature to represent N and P limitations on ecosystem processes: Liebig's Law of the Minimum (LLM) and the Multiple Element Limitation (MEL) approach. LLM states that the more limiting nutrient controls plant growth, and commonly leads to predictions of dramatically dampened ecosystem carbon accumulation over the 21st century. Conversely, the MEL approach recognizes that plants possess multiple pathways to coordinate N and P availability and invest resources to alleviate N or P limitation. We implemented these two contrasting approaches in the E3SM model, and compiled 98 in situ forest N or P fertilization experiments to evaluate how terrestrial ecosystems will respond to N and P limitations. We find that MEL better captured the observed plant responses to nutrient perturbations globally, compared with LLM. Furthermore, LLM and MEL diverged dramatically in responses to elevated CO 2 concentrations, leading to a two‐fold difference in CO 2 fertilization effects on Net Primary Productivity by the end of the 21st century. The larger CO 2 fertilization effects indicated by MEL mainly resulted from plant mediation on N and P resource supplies through N 2 fixation and phosphatase activities. This analysis provides quantitative evidence of how different N and P limitation strategies can diversely affect future carbon and nutrient dynamics.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS1997

Biological potential of extraterrestrial materials. 2. Microbial and plant responses to nutrients in the Murchison carbonaceous meteorite

Meteoritic materials are investigated as potential early planetary nutrients. Aqueous extracts of the Murchison C2 carbonaceous meteorite are utilized as a sole carbon source by microorganisms, as demonstrated by the genetically modified Pseudomonas fluorescence equipped with the lux gene. Nutrient effects are observed also with the soil microorganisms Nocardia asteroides and Arthrobacter pascens that reach populations up to 5 x 10(7) CFU/ml in meteorite extracts, similar to populations in terrestrial soil extracts. Plant tissue cultures of Asparagus officinalis and Solanum tuberosum (potato) exhibit enhanced pigmentation and some enhanced growth when meteorite extracts are added to partial nutrient media, but inhibited growth when added to full nutrient solution. The meteorite extracts lead to large increases in S, Ca, Mg, and Fe plant tissue contents as shown by X-ray fluorescence, while P, K, and Cl contents show mixed effects. In both microbiological and plant tissue experiments, the nutrient and inhibitory effects appear to be best balanced for growth at about 1:20 (extracted solid : H2O) ratios. The results suggest that solutions in cavities in meteorites can provide efficient concentrated biogenic and early nutrient environments, including high phosphate levels, which may be the limiting nutrient. The results also suggest that carbonaceous asteroid resources can sustain soil microbial activity and provide essential macronutrients for future space-based ecosystems.

Non-NASA Center↗
DOE OSTI2020

Ectomycorrhizal fungal diversity interacts with soil nutrients to predict plant growth despite weak plant-soil feedbacks

Background and aims Plant-soil feedbacks are the result of multiple abiotic and biotic mechanisms. However, few studies have addressed how feedbacks vary based on abiotic context or attempted to identify microbiota responsible for feedbacks. In this work, we investigated whether plant-soil feedbacks of an ectomycorrhizal tree (Quercus macrocarpa) varied based on soil nutrient status and whether fungal community composition and diversity could explain feedback patterns. Furthermore, we inoculated Q. macrocarpa seedlings with field-sampled soils taken from five soil origins – including heterospecific and conspecific trees and an old field – which were profiled using fungal DNA metabarcoding.Results Despite finding that soils associated with different hosts harbored distinct fungal communities and that fungal communities were predictive of plant growth, we did not find any significant plant-soil feedbacks regardless of fertilization status. We did find that the growth promotive effect associated with ectomycorrhizal OTU diversity was weakened with fertilization, suggesting context-dependent relations between plant growth and a guild of fungal mutualists. Our results demonstrate that the host-specific accumulation of functionally important soil microbes is not always sufficient to drive observable plant-soil feedbacks. Our data provide support for a role for ECM fungal diversity in mediating plant growth responses, though it is unclear whether this effect is direct or indirect.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

Impacts of directed evolution and soil management legacy on the maize rhizobiome

Domestication and agricultural intensification dramatically altered maize and its cultivation environment. Changes in maize genetics (G) and environmental (E) conditions increased productivity under high-synthetic-input conditions. However, novel selective pressures on the rhizobiome may have incurred undesirable tradeoffs in organic agroecosystems, where plants obtain nutrients via microbially mediated processes including mineralization of organic matter. Using twelve maize genotypes representing an evolutionary transect (teosintes, landraces, inbred parents of modern elite germplasm, and modern hybrids) and two agricultural soils with contrasting long-term management, here we integrated analyses of rhizobiome community structure, potential microbe-microbe interactions, and N-cycling functional genes to better understand the impacts of maize evolution and soil management legacy on rhizobiome recruitment. We show complex shifts in rhizobiome communities during directed evolution of maize (defined as the transition from teosinte to modern hybrids), with a larger effect of domestication (teosinte to landraces) than modern breeding (inbreds to hybrids) on rhizobiome structure and greater impacts of modern breeding on potential microbe-microbe interactions. Rhizobiome structure was significantly correlated with plant nutrient composition. Furthermore, plant biomass and nutrient content were affected by G x E interactions in which teosinte and landrace genotypes had better relative performance in the organic legacy soil than inbred and modern genotypes. The abundance of six N-cycling genes of relevance for plant nutrition and N loss pathways did not significantly differ between teosinte and modern rhizospheres in either soil management legacy. These results provide insight into the potential for improving maize adaptation to organic systems and contribute to interdisciplinary efforts toward developing resource-efficient, biologically based agroecosystems.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS1990

Factors affecting plant growth in membrane nutrient delivery

The development of the tubular membrane plant growth unit for the delivery of water and nutrients to roots in microgravity has recently focused on measuring the effects of changes in physical variables controlling solution availability to the plants. Significant effects of membrane pore size and the negative pressure used to contain the solution were demonstrated. Generally, wheat grew better in units with a larger pore size but equal negative pressure and in units with the same pore size but less negative pressure. Lettuce also exhibited better plant growth at less negative pressure.

Dreschel, T. W.↗
DOE OSTI2024

Metagenomes and Metagenome-Assembled Genomes from Microbial Communities in the Hamptons Road Sanitary District (HRSD) Biological Nutrient Removal Pilot Plant Operated with High and Low Dissolved Oxygen Conditions

In this study, we aimed to evaluate BNR and investigate microbial community changes when the DO is reduced in the aerated portions of wastewater treatment trains. We present a dataset of metagenomes obtained from activated sludge collected from the Hamptons Road Sanitary District treatment plant at the beginning of operation, when the DO was high, and at the end of operation, when the DO was low

dissolved oxgyen↗
NASA NTRS1972

Utilization of ERTS data to detect plant diseases and nutrient deficiencies, soil types and moisture levels

The author has identified the following significant results. A significant finding is the identification and delineation of a large soil association in Obion County, West Tennessee. These data are now being processed through the scanner and computer and will be included in the next report along with pictures of printout and imagery. Channel 7 appears to provide the most useful imagery related to soil differences. Soil types have been identified through the use of aircraft imagery. However, a soil association map appears to be the best that space imagery will provide. The exception to this will be large areas of a uniform soil type as occurs in the great plains.

Parks, W. L.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Utilization of ERTS data to detect plant diseases and nutrient deficiencies, soil types and moisture levels

The author has identified the following significant results. A significant finding to date is the delineation of the Memphis soil association in Obion County, Dyer County, and in portions of Kentucky. This soil association was delineated mechanically through the use of imagery in the digital tape format, appropriate computer software, and an IBM/360/05 computer. The Waverly-Swamp association as well as the Obion River have been identified on the ERTS-1 imagery as well as on the computer printout. These findings demonstrate the feasibility of delineating major soil associations through vegetative cover common to the association. Channel 7 provides the most information for studies of this type. Computer density printouts assist markedly in making density separations and delineating major soil moisture differences; however, signatures for soil moisture classification for this area of mixed land uses in relatively small tracts have not yet been developed.

Parks, W. L.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Utilization of ERTS data to detect plant diseases and nutrient deficiencies, soil types and moisture levels

The author has identified the following significant results. Findings demonstrate the feasibility of delineating major terrain features, land uses, and crop species through computerized analyses. Channel 6 appears to give the most information for making separations of this type. By enlarging satellite imagery and visually comparing this with high altitude aerial photographs, locating small terrain features and cropland areas on satellite imagery is greatly facilitated. Forest types are discernable on the 2402 imagery with a #25 filter: pine stands have dark tones, hardwood stands have light tones, and pine-hardwood have intermediate tones. No textural differences are evident on this type of imagery. However, on the 2424 imagery with #89B filter, textural differences are evident but tonal differences are absent. Areas of considerable texture are interpreted as stands of high volume while areas of suppressed texture are of low volume. The 2402 imagery with a #57 filter appears to have little information of importance in timber inventory.

Parks, W. L.↗