Space Plants Lab

Lunar Plant Biology

First Plants grown in Lunar Regolith - Here's their story:

Plants grown in Apollo lunar regolith present stress-associated transcriptomes that inform prospects for lunar exploration.

You may not be aware, but plants played a large role in early human spaceflight, particularly in the study of samples of lunar soils brought back by the Apollo missions. We did an extensive study of the plant studies of the Apollo era, and this link will take you to that study and the original references behind the study.

Ferl RJ, Paul A-L (2010) Lunar Plant Biology - A Review the Apollo Era. Astrobiology 10: 261-74.

Lunar Receiving Laboratory

McLane, J.C., Jr., King, E.A., Jr., Flory, D.A., Richardson, K.A., Dawson, J.P., Kemmerer, W.W. and Wooley, B.C. (1967) Lunar Receiving Laboratory. Science 155: 525-529.
- Lunar Receiving Laboratory
  - General description of the intent and construction of the LRL. "Unique requirements for handling lunar samples and quarantining for back- contamination are provided."
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  - http://www.jstor.org/stable/pdfplus/1720378.pdf
Kemmerer, W.W., Jr., Mason, J.A. and Wooley, B.C. (1969) Physical, Chemical, and Biological Activities at the Lunar Receiving Laboratory. BioScience 19: 712-715.
- Physical, Chemical, and Biological Activities at the Lunar Receiving Laboratory
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  - http://www.jstor.org/stable/pdfplus/1294901.pdf
Mangus, S. and Larsen, W. (2004) Lunar Receiving Laboratory Project History. edited, NASA, 76.
- Lunar Receiving Laboratory Project History
  - A NASA publication
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  - http://www.lpi.usra.edu/lunar/documents/lunarReceivingLabCr2004_208938.pdf
Walkinshaw, C.H., Wooley, B.C. and Bozarth, G.A. (1973) Technology Advancements in the Growth of Germfree Plants at the Manned Spacecraft Center. Germfree Research: 635-643.
- Technology Advancements in the Growth of Germfree Plants at the Manned Spacecraft Center

The Lunar Sample Preliminary Examination, T. (1969) Preliminary Examination of Lunar Samples from Apollo 11. Science 165: 1211-1227.
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  - http://www.jstor.org/stable/1727968
Oyama, V.I., Merek, E.L. and Silverman, M.P. (1970) A Search for Viable Organisms in a Lunar Sample. Science 167: 773-775.
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  - https://www.jstor.org/stable/1728849
Walkinshaw, C.H., Sweet, H.C., Venketeswaran, S. and Horne, W.H. (1970) Results of Apollo 11 and 12 quarantine studies on plants. Bioscience 20: 1297-1302.
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  - http://www.jstor.org/stable/1295365
Barghoorn, E.S., Phillpott, D. and Turnbill, C. (1970) Micropaleontological Study of Lunar Material. Science 167: 775.
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  - http://www.jstor.org/stable/1728850
Silverman, M.P., Munoz, E.F. and Oyama, V.I. (1971) Physical Sciences: Effect of Apollo 11 Lunar Samples on Terrestrial Microorganisms. Nature 230: 169-170.
- This issue of Science has many dedicated lunar sample articles
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  - https://www.nature.com/articles/230169a0

Weete, J.D., Walkinshaw, C.H. and Laseter, J.L. (1972) Apollo 12 lunar material: effects on lipid levels of tobacco tissue cultures. Science 175: 623-624.
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  - http://www.jstor.org/stable/1732935
Walkinshaw, C.H. (1971) Lunar Horticulture. HortScience 6: 518.
- Lunar Horticulture
Walkinshaw, C.H. and Johnson, P.H. (1971) Analysis of vegetable seedlings grown in contact with Apollo 14 Lunar surface fines. Hortscience 6: 532-535.
Weete, J.D. and Walkinshaw, C.H. (1972) Apollo 12 lunar material: effects on plant pigments. Canadian Journal of Botany 50: 101-104.
Johnson, P.H., Walkinshaw, C.H., Martin, J.R., Nance, W.B., Bennett, A.D. and Carranza, E.P. (1972) Elemental Analysis of Apollo 15 Surface Fines Used in Biological Studies in the Lunar Receiving Laboratory. BioScience 22: 96-99.
- Elemental Analysis of Apollo 15 Surface Fines Used in Biological Studies in the Lunar Receiving Laboratory
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  - http://www.jstor.org/stable/1296039
Laseter, J.L., Weete, J.D., Baur, P.S. and Walkinshaw, C.H. (1973) Lipid composition of slash pine tissue cultures grown with lunar and earth soils. Space Life Sciences 4: 352-356.
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  - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/4771131/
Walkinshaw, C.H., Venketeswaran, S., Baur, P.S., Hall, R.H., Croley, T.E., Scholes, V.E. and Halliwell, R.S. (1973) Effect of lunar materials on plant tissue culture. Space Life Sciences 4: 78-89.
Weete, J.D., Walkinshaw, C.H. and Laseter, J.L. (1973) Response of tobacco tissue cultures growing in contact with lunar fines. Space Life Sciences 4: 90-96.
Baur, P.S., Walkinshaw, C.H., Halliwell, R.S. and Scholes, V.E. (1973) Morphology of Nicotiana tabacum cells grown in contact with lunar material. Canadian Journal of Botany 51: 151-156.
Baur, P.S., Clark, R.S., Walkinshaw, C.H. and Scholes, V.E. (1974) Uptake and translocation of elements from Apollo 11 lunar material by lettuce seedlings. Phyton 32: 133-142.
- Uptake and translocation of elements from Apollo 11 lunar material by lettuce seedlings

1975 Taylor
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  - https://history.nasa.gov/SP-368/s5ch2.htm

2007 Lunar Astrobiology Review
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  - http://www.liebertonline.com/doi/abs/10.1089/ast.2006.0082
1998 Alton Lessons Learned
1989 Compton Where no man
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  - https://www.lpi.usra.edu/lunar/documents/NTRS/collection3/NASA_SP_4214.pdf

This is an excellent compilation from the Lunar Planetary Institute of documents from and referring to the lunar science missions

Link
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  - https://www.lpi.usra.edu/lunar/documents/

Original Lunar Image
- Classic Footprint on the moon from Apollo 11. NASA image.
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  - https://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/alsj/a11/AS11-40-5877.jpg
Modified Image by Anna-Lisa Paul and Rob Ferl
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