"Space Salad: The Key to Making Friends?"

Researchers found that lettuce grown in a simulated microgravity environment on Earth is more susceptible to bacterial infections like E. coli and Salmonella, posing a potential risk for astronauts consuming space-grown produce. The study revealed that plants lose their ability to protect themselves in microgravity, allowing bacteria to invade leaf tissue more easily. To address this issue, researchers are exploring genetic modifications in lettuce varieties to prevent the plants from opening their stomata wider in space, aiming to ensure food safety for future long-duration space missions to the Moon or Mars.