By Dave DeFusco

Duckweeds are humble-looking plants whose tiny, brilliant green globules spangle ponds all over the world, but they’ve captured the interest of scientists seeking to give space explorers a readily available supply of daily greens, as well as academic researchers, like Natania Birnbaum, a 2024 graduate of the M.S. in Biotechnology Management and Entrepreneurship who found it a promising area of study for space agriculture.

“In space, we need crops that produce a lot of nutritious material with minimal resources and volume and that can grow very fast and tolerate environmental extremes,” said Birnbaum, who conducted her research for Growmics, an Illinois-based company founded by John McShane ’21, as part of a capstone course and presented it at the Katz School’s 2024 research symposium on May 9.

Graduates of the Katz School’s M.S. in Biotechnology Management and Entrepreneurship are prepared to become research and policy analysts, business development associates, clinical trial and regulatory specialists and project managers. Dr. Rana Khan, program director of the Katz School’s M.S. in Biotech, said the program “prepares students to become leaders in innovation,” teaching them how to commercialize biotechnology products and services through specialized coursework and a multitude of hands-on experiences, like Birnbaum’s capstone research.

For the project, Birnbaum conducted a comprehensive survey of the available literature on duckweed biology, genetics and cultivation methods, as well as an investigation into the major companies in the industry and economic projections for the future of the duckweed market.

“Their genomes are very simple, lacking many genes found in other plants, which allows them to hybridize readily,” said Birnbaum. “The nutritional profile of duckweed protein resembles that of animal proteins, and with growing popularity of veganism will likely drive near-future growth of the duckweed market.”

Duckweed, a crunchy vegetable sometimes called a superfood, is high in protein and a rich supply of antioxidants, amino acids and Omega-3s. Birnbaum said these rapidly growing plants are ideal for space because they don’t require soil, which means fewer materials, less mass and less waste for resource-intensive space missions.

“The findings of this survey show that the nutritional density, hardiness, genetic malleability and low resource requirements of duckweed, as well as its tolerance of microgravity, make it a promising subject of study for space-based farming,” she said. “The duckweed market is projected to grow significantly.”

Birnbaum said that duckweed has the ability to absorb nutrients, including nitrogen and phosphorus, directly from the water, making it beneficial in closed-loop life support systems where duckweed can help recycle waste products and purify water for reuse. It’s small size and floating nature make it space-efficient and easy to cultivate in confined spaces. In space habitats with limited growing areas, it can be grown in compact hydroponic or aeroponic systems, maximizing space.

Duckweed requires minimal maintenance and care compared to traditional crops. Its ability to grow in a wide range of environmental conditions and its resilience to stressors make it well-suited for autonomous cultivation systems in space.

“By incorporating duckweed into these systems, space habitats can become more self-sustaining and resilient,” said Birnbaum.