Plant Tropisms

191

Heritable,in planta

devices for monitoring

and controlling plant

function. Can be

controlled externally,

or internally

(biofeedback

loops)

Intelligent, remotely

controlled, large

scale plant

selection/breeding

program on

Mars

Programmable plants whose

development, metabolism, and

function are remotely controlled in

conjunction with an autonomous life

support biosphere on Mars

Ultimate Objective: 2050 –

Long-Term: 2025 – 2050

Mid-Term: 2015 – 2025

Near-Term: 2007 – 2015

Foundation: 2007

Permanent phytotron

complex on Mars,

with fully-functional,

intelligent control

systems. Control

locally or from Earth

Manipulation

and optimization

of plant

performance in

space

Incorporation of in planta,

biologically-based, or

man-made nanodevices

to monitor and control

plant function. Can be

controlled externally/

remotely

Plant

selection

programs

on Mars

Phytotron (greenhouse)

deployed on Martian surface

with machine-based plant

biologist monitoring and

control systems

Miniaturized

DNA microarray

technology

to monitor total

gene expression

remotely,

i.e. space

Understand the

processes that

control plant

protein and

secondary

metabolite

production

In planta

monitoring of

gene

expression/

physiological

status

Plants with

specific,

controllable

elements

Selective,

localized

control of

specific

gene

expression

Plant

selection

for Mars

greenhouse

conditions

Mars

greenhouse

on Earth with

all Martian

conditions

using

distributed

sensor and

control methods

Metabolism

and

physiology

in space-

exposed

plants

Gene expression

using DNA

microarray from

space-exposed

plants

Genes as

biomonitors

of plant

stress in

space

Promoters

to induce

specific

genes

Localized

stimulus/

systemic

response

mechanism

in plants

Plant

selection/

engineering

with specific

designed

traits

Mars “greenhouse” on

Earth with selected Mars

environmental factors

using conventional

control methods

Figure 9.2. An architecture for programmable plants for human life support on Mars.