Persistence of Escherichia coli in the microbiomes of red Romaine lettuce (Lactuca sativa cv. 'Outredgeous') and mizuna mustard (Brassica rapa var. japonica) - does seed sanitization matter?

Background: Seed sanitization via chemical processes removes/reduces microbes from the external surfaces of the seed and thereby could have an impact on the plants' health or productivity. To determine the impact of seed sanitization on the plants' microbiome and pathogen persistence, sanitized and unsanitized seeds from two leafy green crops, red Romaine lettuce (Lactuca sativa cv. 'Outredgeous') and mizuna mustard (Brassica rapa var.

Spatial Characterization of Microbial Communities on Multi-Species Leafy Greens Grown Simultaneously in the Vegetable Production Systems on the International Space Station.

The establishment of steady-state continuous crop production during long-term deep space missions is critical for providing consistent nutritional and psychological benefits for the crew, potentially improving their health and performance. Three technology demonstrations were completed achieving simultaneous multi-species plant growth and the concurrent use of two Veggie units on the International Space Station (ISS). Microbiological characterization using molecular and culture-based methods was performed on leaves and roots from two harvests of three leafy greens, red romaine lettuce ( cv.

Microbiological and Nutritional Analysis of Lettuce Crops Grown on the International Space Station.

The ability to grow safe, fresh food to supplement packaged foods of astronauts in space has been an important goal for NASA. Food crops grown in space experience different environmental conditions than plants grown on Earth (e.g.