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October 7, 2020 at 20:00 Virtual Register

Harnessing the Growing Synergy Between Space Farming & Terrestrial Indoor Agriculture

The Association for Vertical Farming is delighted to partner with Indoor Ag-Con to co-host this exciting program on October 7 at 20:00 CEST.

Over the decades there has been both the evolution and transformation of biologically-based life support innovations that have now been adopted — and are being improved upon — in today’s burgeoning global vertical farming industry.

In addition, the emergence of Industry 4.0 innovations from data analytics to automation to AI is certainly enabling and helping launch vertical farms into their exponential advancements.

And all these set the stage for synergistic public-private partnerships going forward for the successful implementation of biologically-based life support systems for long-duration manned missions on the Moon and on Mars — and all their powerful innovation multiplier effects extended further for application in the terrestrial vertical farming industry.

Our panel will be delving into the various aspects of such brave and exciting scenarios, both present, and future.

Moderator:


Dr. Joel Cuello, Professor of Biosystems Engineering at The University of Arizona and Vice-Chair of the Association for Vertical Farming

Dr. Joel L. Cuello is Professor of Biosystems Engineering and Director of the Global Initiative for Strategic Agriculture in Dry Lands (GISAD) at The University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona, U.S.A. He is also currently Vice Chair of the International Association for Vertical Farming (AVF).

A globally recognized expert in the engineering of sustainable biological and agricultural systems, his technical expertise in both engineering and biology provides the platform for engineering designs in various agricultural and biological systems with an emphasis on optimizing productivities while fostering resource sustainability and environmental protection.

Prof. Cuello has designed, constructed and implemented varied types of engineered agricultural or biological systems, including those applied to bioregenerative space life support, vertical farming, plant tissue culture, micropropagation, industrial mass production of algae and plant cell and microbial cultures for production of biomass, nutraceuticals, pharmaceuticals, etc. He is the Principal Inventor of the patented algae photobioreactor series — the Accordion photobioreactors — as well as the Vertical Farming systems — the Mobile & Modular Vertical Farm and the V-Hive Vertical Green Box

Panelists:

Dr. David Bubenheim
Senior Research Scientist @NASA Ames Research Center
Dr. Bubenheim’s studies focus on crop physiology and plant ecophysiology. He has developed plant-based, life support systems to provide the food, air, and water for self-sufficient, human settlements on Mars. This work included high-performance controlled environment crop production coupled with waste and water recycling systems to demonstrate for the first time the feasibility for using plant-based, regenerative systems within the limited resources available is space applications. His research into photosynthetic efficiency and resource use has been applied to the study of terrestrial and aquatic invasive plants, aiding in adaptive ecosystem management strategies in response to climate change. In addition to flying experiments on the Russian Space Station Mir and the International Space Station (ISS), he serves as mentor and advisor to students currently flying a series of plant experiments on ISS.
Dr. Gary Stutte
President @SyNRGE
SyNRGE develops technology for growing plants in space and applying it on Earth. Dr. Stutte is also a horticulturist, plant physiologist, and space biologist. In this role, Stutte developed and tested controlled environment technology at Kennedy Space Center. In addition, he also conducted multiple experiments onboard the International Space Station. Stutte is also a pioneer in the use of LED lighting to increase the nutritional value salad crops grown in CEA. SyNRGE, LLC is headquartered in the Space Life Science Lab, Exploration Park, Florida.

Ralph Fritsche
Space Crop Production Product Manager @NASA
Fritsche is leading the effort to develop sustainable and reliable fresh food systems in support of long-duration space missions beyond low Earth orbit. He began his career with NASA in 1989. He has supported the US Space Shuttle and Space Station Programs in various engineering and operational roles. Mr. Fritsche is also a recipient of the NASA Exceptional Service Medal. In addition, he has also earned a dual BS degree in Physics and Space Science from the Florida Institute of Technology in 1979.
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