LASM - Laboratory of Applied Space Microbiology

A long-term human presence on Mars requires a continuous provision of consumables for the crews. To help address this need, we are working to lay the foundation for sustainable bioproduction processes in Martian settlements. Our approach combines microbes and plants to produce essential resources, from fertilizers to food to bioplastics to oxygen, as well as to recycle organic waste – all starting from materials available in Mars’s ground and atmosphere. Our system is versatile and modular; it could be used to connect further bioprocesses to local resources, thereby alleviating the need for consumables imported from Earth. This research is funded through the University of Bremen's Humans on Mars Initiative and is carried in collaboration with the groups of Prof. Dr. Sven Kerzenmacher (UFT, Uni. Bremen) and Dr. Daniel Schubert (DLR Bremen).

We aim at understanding how Anabaena sp. adapts to direct contact with Martian regolith, investigating its ability to attach, form biofilms, and derive nutrients from it. By employing geomicrobiology and multi-omics approaches, we explore their responses at both physiological and molecular levels, aiming to unlock their potential for life support and ISRU on Mars.