The Science Verification Test for NASA’s Advanced Plant Experiment-08 (APEX-08) testing Arabidopsis thaliana, a plant scientists routinely use for research, takes place inside the Veggie growth chamber at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Nov. 6, 2020. The test is part of the process for demonstrating readiness for space research ahead of its flight on SpaceX’s 23rd Commercial Resupply Services mission to the International Space Station. The APEX-08 study includes making genetic alterations that elicit a response in a group of organic compounds that modulate plant responses to environmental stress.

The Science Verification Test for NASA’s Advanced Plant Experiment-08 (APEX-08) testing Arabidopsis thaliana, a plant scientists routinely use for research, takes place inside the Veggie growth chamber at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Nov. 6, 2020. The test is part of the process for demonstrating readiness for space research ahead of its flight on SpaceX’s 23rd Commercial Resupply Services mission to the International Space Station. The APEX-08 study includes making genetic alterations that elicit a response in a group of organic compounds that modulate plant responses to environmental stress.

jsc2021e036657 (8/11/2021) --- Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings following 9 days of growth on 1.2% agar-based media in petri dishes in the VEGGIE growth chamber under temperature, humidity and CO2 conditions mimicking those recorded at the International Space Station. The genotypes of these plants are indicated at the bottom of each panel. These images were taken during the Science Verification Test carried out at NASA Kennedy Space Center. All genotypes grew equally well under these conditions except for the cuao3-100cdr7 mutant, which grew more slowly.