Space Agriculture: The ambition of humankind to return to the Moon and travel onward to Mars will require both technical and biological innovations. A round trip to Mars would take approximately three years and carrying sufficient resources for this journey would be impossible. Necessities for survival, such as food, medicine and materials, will have to be produced by the explorers at their settlements. In this issue of MODA, Kamran and colleagues discuss how plants can provide a range of solutions to this challenge, from basic foodstuffs to synthetic biology products. The cover art was designed by Lucas Auroux.

A new direction for research on antitranspirant polymers is proposed to reduce the problem of fresh produce oversupply when demand temporarily drops. The polymers, which block stomata when sprayed on leaves, should restrict growth and delay harvesting so that less produce will be wasted.

The benefits of growing plants in space include the production of fresh, nutritionally optimised food; using plants as biofactories to produce medicine and vaccines; air and water purification; and mental health benefits.

In this paper, we begin by summarising recent progress in designing or engineering in vitro CO₂ fixation pathways, as well as those solely established in microbes. Subsequently, we delineate strategies employed to enhance CO₂ fixation in plants. Finally, we explore potential methods for introducing artificial CO₂ fixation pathways into plants. These advancements are critical in advancing synthetic biology's efforts to tackle future challenges related to food and energy scarcity.

This paper discusses the potential application of cottonseed as a feed source. Glandless cottonseed, devoid of gossypol, can be utilised as a regular livestock feed following appropriate processing methods. Cottonseed containing gossypol, particularly (+)-gossypol, can serve as a short-term ‘medicinal-feeding homologous’ feed to prevent or treat viral infections in animals.

Sustainable mitigation of biomass recalcitrance enhances plant-based bioenergy production. (a) Recent trends in plant-based bioenergy production aim to genetically modify lignocellulosic feedstock to improve biomass saccharification. This can be achieved by altering gene regulations that impose biomass recalcitrance, such as lignin and cellulose. For example, mutant lines of CESA4 and -7 inhibit cellulose production, whereas MYB4a in switch grasses modulates the expression of lignin biosynthetic genes to inhibit lignin production. Additionally, MYB167 negatively affects xylan synthesis without impacting lignin content. (b) Genetic transformations based on gene functions can reduce biomass recalcitrance in lignocellulosic feedstock. (c) Highly degradable feedstock facilitates bioenergy production with little or no enzymatic digestion, reducing production costs. (d) Green energy produced sustainably powers automobiles and homes without contributing to greenhouse gases.

The Sri Lankan government misinterpreted research data about agrochemical usage and its link to ‘chronic kidney disease of unknown etiology’ (CKDu), leading to an abrupt shift to exclusive organic farming in 2021. This policy, based on inaccurate information and lacking comprehensive risk assessment, banned inorganic fertilisers, and pesticides. The sudden change caused confusion and mistrust, severely impacting the agricultural sector and causing economic damage. This case underscores the importance of accurate information and comprehensive risk assessment in policymaking to prevent disasters and protect vulnerable populations.

The present work investigates the underlying mechanisms by which Si-based nanosheets enhance the yield and quality of vegetable crops. The results suggest that Si-based nanosheets positively altered the phytohormone networks and enhanced the overall nutritional quality in the edible portions of cherry radish. Thus, nanoscale agrochemicals have exhibited significant potential impacts on sustainable agriculture.