Scientists from the University of Florida have managed to grow plants of the species Arabidopsis thaliana, or the hardy thale cress, in lunar regolith, which we know as moon dust. Now wait a minute, where did they get moon dust? From the moon, silly. This regolith was brought back by the Apollo missions 50 years ago, and it is still powering experiments here on earth.
The plants are not as robust as those grown in earth soil, nor in volcanic ash, but they are growing. This research is aimed at how we can harness the moon's own resources to grow food for possible lunar visitors or even settlers. These plants were grown using seeds, regolith, water, nutrients, and artificial light, only one of which is available on the moon. But it's a step in the right direction. My question is: has the regolith undergone any changes in the 50 years since it was brought to earth? Read more about this experiment at NASA.
(Image credit: UF/IFAS photo by Tyler Jones)