The Cultural and Creative Center was established with the goal of supporting young people’s creativity, educational activities, and interdisciplinary collaboration. An important part of its work also involves the design, development, and testing of space experiments. At the same time, the NANOSAT educational project is underway here, focused on developing knowledge in the field of nanosatellites and space technologies. The project also offers outreach activities, such as simulations of the motion of objects in space, presentations on the issue of space debris, and hands-on work with water rocket models.
Experts from the Space Agri Technologies research group at the Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Mendel University’s Faculty of AgriSciences play a significant role in the research. Their work focuses primarily on studying algae, cyanobacteria, and plants under conditions that mimic the environment of future space missions. “One area of the research and testing being conducted focuses on the preparation, optimization, and implementation of long-term experiments with algae and cyanobacteria. In reality, they could be launched into Earth’s orbit—whether aboard the small Cubesat of the CIMER mission, the European Space Rider cargo spacecraft, or aboard the International Space Station—within the next 1–3 years,” explained Libor Lenža of the Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the Faculty of AgriSciences, MENDELU.
Experts from the Space Agri Technologies research group have begun conducting a comprehensive series of experiments in preparation for space missions. In the first phase, for example, experiments were launched focused on the cultivation of microalgae and cyanobacteria, testing the effects of heavy metals (nickel, copper, and cadmium) and chlorates on microalgae, and determining photosynthetic pigments and antioxidant parameters in plant samples. The common goal of these research activities is to verify whether microalgae and cyanobacteria can retain their biological properties beneficial to humans even under conditions of microgravity and radiation exposure. At the same time, scientists are investigating the ability of plants to grow and thrive on “extraterrestrial” substrates.
An example of successful collaboration between the two institutions is the fluorescent microscopy of histological sections of plants grown on a lunar regolith analog. The analyses were conducted using equipment at the Cultural and Creative Center in Valašské Meziříčí, with the goal of elucidating physiological changes in selected plant tissues.
An example of successful collaboration between the two institutions is the fluorescent microscopy of histological sections of plants grown on a lunar regolith analog. The analyses were conducted using equipment at the Cultural and Creative Center in Valašské Meziříčí, with the aim of elucidating physiological changes in selected plant tissues.
“The main benefit of this collaboration is the combination of the experience and expertise of both institutions. In Valašské Meziříčí, we have extensive cultivation and laboratory facilities at our disposal, which allow us to conduct experiments on a larger scale. Another major advantage is the state-of-the-art laboratory equipment, thanks to which we can perform precise and comprehensive analyses. This collaboration thus opens the door to projects that would be very difficult to carry out at a single institution,” added Martin Füleky from the Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the Faculty of Agronomy, Mendel University. The results of the ongoing experiments will be used in the preparation of future space missions and will also support the development of outreach activities.