{"id":93833,"date":"2025-03-13T08:05:39","date_gmt":"2025-03-13T08:05:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blacktwitter.com\/bprw-winston-salem-state-universitys-astrobotany-lab-partners-with-former-nasa-rocket-scientist-aisha-bowe-to-expand-hbcu-space-science-research-press-releases-2\/"},"modified":"2025-03-13T08:05:40","modified_gmt":"2025-03-13T08:05:40","slug":"bprw-winston-salem-state-universitys-astrobotany-lab-partners-with-former-nasa-rocket-scientist-aisha-bowe-to-expand-hbcu-space-science-research-press-releases-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blacktwitter.com\/bprw-winston-salem-state-universitys-astrobotany-lab-partners-with-former-nasa-rocket-scientist-aisha-bowe-to-expand-hbcu-space-science-research-press-releases-2\/","title":{"rendered":"(BPRW) Winston-Salem State University\u2019s Astrobotany Lab partners with former NASA rocket scientist Aisha Bowe to expand HBCU space science research | Press releases"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<p>(BPRW) Winston-Salem State University\u2019s Astrobotany Lab partners with former NASA rocket scientist Aisha Bowe to expand HBCU space science research<\/p>\n<p class=\"PR-titleSubtitle\">Spaceflight experiment will be first in university history<\/p>\n<p>(Black PR Wire) Plant samples from Winston-Salem State University\u2019s Astrobotany Lab will be on the first Blue Origin all-female mission to space this spring.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Esteemed rocket scientist, entrepreneur and global STEM trailblazer, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aishabowe.com\/\">Aisha Bowe<\/a>, is partnering with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wssu.edu\/\">WSSU<\/a>, one of the nation\u2019s leading HBCUs, and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.odysseyspace.co\/\">Odyssey<\/a>, WSSU\u2019s space science and operations firm, to launch a groundbreaking suborbital space experiment aboard Blue Origin\u2019s All-Female Mission, NS-31.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>This milestone experiment, led by WSSU Astrobotany students and researchers, will investigate how crop plants respond to microgravity at the molecular level, advancing sustainable space agriculture and food security on Earth.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>WSSU\u2019s leading Astrobotany research program, housed within its Department of Biological Sciences, has been at the forefront of space plant science, making this the first suborbital spaceflight experiment in the university\u2019s history.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The Astrobotany lab is the only Space Plant Biology lab at an HBCU and is the only HBCU lab with a Space Act Agreement with NASA Kennedy Space Center Crop Production Team.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Groundbreaking Experiment for the Future of Space Agriculture, Food Security<\/p>\n<p>The experiment will assess the early molecular stress response of crop plants to microgravity exposure, focusing on six key genes related to stress response, nutrient transport and metabolism.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Students will investigate how gravity influences plant growth by looking for changes in gene activity. After the flight, they will use molecular tools to compare gene expression in plants exposed to microgravity to ground controls.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis mission not only advances scientific discovery but also provides an unparalleled opportunity for our students to engage in real-world space research,\u201d said Dr. Rafael Loureiro, associate professor of Botany and Plant Physiology, and founder of the Astrobotany Lab at WSSU. \u201cBy participating in this suborbital flight experiment with Aisha, our students gain hands-on experience that will help shape the future of astrobotany, space exploration and sustainable food production beyond Earth.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis collaboration ensures that HBCU students are not just participants but leaders in space science,\u201d said WSSU Chancellor Bonita J. Brown, the first female chancellor in WSSU\u2019s history. \u201cWinston-Salem State University is committed to breaking barriers, and this mission is a testament to the critical role that HBCUs play in advancing space research and preparing our students to lead the future of exploration.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Empowering the Next Generation of Space Scientists<\/p>\n<p>Through this collaboration, WSSU students \u2013 one of the few HBCU-led teams conducting space-based plant research \u2013 are contributing to cutting-edge discoveries with direct applications for future lunar and Martian habitats.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis experiment is about world-class research that benefits both space and life on Earth,\u201d said Bowe, who will be conducting the experiment onboard Blue Origin\u2019s NS-31 flight. \u201cWSSU\u2019s Astrobotany Lab is shaping the future of sustainable agriculture beyond our planet, and I\u2019m honored to support their groundbreaking work.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Research Implications &amp; the Future<\/p>\n<p>The findings from this experiment will contribute to longer-duration spaceflight studies, advancing understanding of how plants adapt to extreme environments, a key factor for future lunar and Martian habitation.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The Blue Origin NS-31 launch marks a significant milestone for HBCUs, space-based agriculture, and the broader science community.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>For WSSU media inquiries, contact:<\/p>\n<p>Kimberly Harrington<\/p>\n<p>Director of Communications and Media Relations<\/p>\n<p>harringtonkd@wssu.edu<\/p>\n<p>(704) 294-9431<br \/>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>For Ms. Aisha Bowe media inquiries, contact:<\/p>\n<p>Chanelle Denton<\/p>\n<p>chanelle@wimbart.com<br \/>(44) 77532-42117<\/p>\n<p>Bradford\u00a0Bridgers\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>bb@schuremediagroup.com<br \/>(301) 538-6667\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The content and opinions expressed within this press release are those of the author(s) and\/or represented companies, and are not necessarily shared by Black PR Wire. The author(s) and\/or represented companies are solely responsible for the facts and the accuracy of the content of this Press release. Black PR Wire reserves the right to reject a press release if, in the view of Black PR Wire, the content of the release is unsuitable for distribution.<\/p>\n<p>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/blackprwire.com\/press-releases\/bprw-winston-salem-state-university-s-astrobotany-lab-partners-with-former-nasa-rocket-scientist-aisha-bowe-to-expand-hbcu-space-science-research\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>(BPRW) Winston-Salem State University\u2019s Astrobotany Lab partners with former NASA rocket scientist Aisha Bowe to expand HBCU space science research Spaceflight experiment will be first in university history (Black PR Wire) Plant samples from Winston-Salem State University\u2019s Astrobotany Lab will be on the first Blue Origin all-female mission to space this spring.\u00a0 Esteemed rocket scientist,<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":93790,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-93833","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-entertainment"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blacktwitter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/93833","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blacktwitter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blacktwitter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blacktwitter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blacktwitter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=93833"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blacktwitter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/93833\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":93834,"href":"https:\/\/blacktwitter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/93833\/revisions\/93834"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blacktwitter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/93790"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blacktwitter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=93833"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blacktwitter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=93833"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blacktwitter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=93833"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}