Florida Institute of Technology Melbourne, Florida
Body of Abstract: Establishing a bioregenerative life support (BRLS) system with supplemental food production is key to sustainable settlements in space at sites too remote for easy resupply from Earth. To increase food security, multiple types of food production should be utilized, such as hydroponics and soil-like-substrate (SLS) based agriculture. In-situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) practices leverage existing resources such as regolith to support BRLS systems, further reducing a future settlement’s dependency on Earth for vital goods. Decomposers are organisms capable of breaking down organic material making nutrients available for reuse by other organisms. We propose that incorporating edible decomposers into BRLS systems is an efficient method of recycling valuable organic and inorganic wastes within a settlement’s ecosystem, while also introducing a supplemental nutrient source for settlers. Here we explore the potential of Pleurotus ostreatus (Oyster mushroom), an edible fungus, to decompose inedible plant biomass and grow in Mars Global Simulant (MGS-1). We hypothesize that regolith will aid in the decomposition of inedible biomass and that using an edible fungus will reduce the steps in the sustainability chain by simultaneously producing a nutrient source as well as an additional volume of SLS. In the present investigation, we are comparing the fungal growth and characteristics between different ratios of inorganic to organic material.