The Sardinian discovery: the spirulina algae grows in absence of gravity and extreme conditions such as the planet Mars

The exploration of space and the colonization of the planets are less distant, thanks to a discovery made in Sardinia. The Universities of Sassari and Cagliari, CRS4, the AeroSpace District of Sardinia (DASS) and the Tolo Green company have filed an application for a highly innovative patent that will help broaden the scope of research in the field of astrobiology.

Researchers, researchers and PhD students have modified the clinostat instrument (it is used to grow plants in the absence of gravity) by introducing an atmosphere of 100% carbon dioxide, almost equal to that of Mars where CO2 represents 96% of the atmosphere. “In such extreme conditions the spirulina algae grows and thrives, consuming carbon dioxide and producing oxygen,” explained Professor Antonella Pantaleo, from the University of Sassari.

Not only that, spirulina is an ideal food for astronauts, because it contains a large set of proteins with all the essential amino acids, as well as many vitamins of group B and E, and the essential omega-6 fatty acids.

As added by Giacomo Cao, sole administrator of CRS4 and president of DASS: "This discovery is important not only in anticipation of a landing on Mars and the exploitation of asteroids, but also because other researchers will be able to carry out studies with the clinostat and the camera. with CO2 atmosphere to verify, for example, how the various types of living cells behave ".

The press conference was also attended by the Rector of the University of Sassari Gavino Mariotti, the President and founder of TOLO Green Gilberto Gabrielli, the professor Antonella Pantaleo of the University of Sassari, the PhD student Alessia Manca, the CRS4 researcher Alessandro Concas and the PhD student Giacomo Fais University of Cagliari.