Second ISS Experiment to Further Study the Effects of BAM-FX on Seedling Growth and Nutrition in Microgravity
BOCA RATON, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Zero Gravity Solutions, Inc. (“ZGSI” or the “Company”) (Pink Sheets: ZGSI), an agricultural biotechnology public company announced favorable results from the previously announced educational research experiment using its BAM-FX micronutrient product on the International Space Station (ISS). A second educational experiment utilizing BAM-FX®, launched to the ISS aboard the SpaceX 11 Cargo Mission to the International Space Station on June 3, 2017 has reached the ISS.
The first BAM-FX experiment was an educational collaboration between V3PO, NanoRacks, LLC, Valley Christian High School of San Jose, California, Intrinsyx Technologies Corporation (ITC), and NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley. It was designed to study the growth and nutritional effects of BAM-FX (a patented precision zinc and copper micronutrient formulation) on broccoli seedlings in microgravity and was led by two plant stress physiologists, Dr. John Freeman of ITC and Dr. David Bubenheim of NASA Ames’ Biospheric Science Branch.
The results of the experiment using BAM-FX were analyzed by Drs. Freeman and Bubenheim and the students involved in the experiment from the International Space Station Science Program at Valley Christian High School of San Jose, California. The findings of the 26-day experiment on the ISS demonstrated that broccoli grown in agarose media treated with BAM-FX grew much larger on orbit at zero gravity in the AFEx Hardware than did the adjacent controls under the same growth conditions.
The second experiment, currently on board the ISS, incorporates hardware designed by the team of Valley Christian High School students, contains dried filter paper impregnated with a plant growth solution, with and without BAM-FX, to which broccoli seeds were affixed. These filters were rehydrated on command once safely in orbit on the ISS. A small camera included in the hardware units will monitor seedling growth. Continued positive results with BAM-FX may lead to further on orbit experiments.
“The results of the first experiment on the ISS using BAM-FX enables us to further explore the applications of BAM-FX for better plant growth and zinc bio fortification in Space while we continue to conduct field trials here on Earth to benefit world agriculture,” stated Harvey Kaye, ZGSI’s Chairman of the Board.
Dr. Freeman commented, “Because Zinc is so important for helping plants cope with environmental stress responses and copper is required for efficient photosynthesis, we hypothesize that BAM-FX may be a unique solution for helping plants grow better in space based Advanced Life Support Systems and useful for biofortifying crops with added Zinc, which is a human immune system boosting element.”
Both educational research flight opportunities were made available to the V3PO team and the BAM-FX team at Valley Christian High School of San Jose, California by NanoRacks, LLC via its Space Act Agreement with NASA’s U.S. National Lab on the International Space Station.
About Zero Gravity Solutions, Inc.
Zero Gravity Solutions, Inc. (www.zerogsi.com) is an agricultural biotechnology public company with technology derived from and designed for Space with significant applications here on Earth. These technologies are focused on providing valuable solutions to challenges facing world agriculture. ZGSI’s two primary categories of technologies aimed at sustainable agriculture are: 1) BAM-FX, a cost effective, ionic micronutrient delivery system for plants currently being introduced commercially into world agriculture by Zero Gravity’s wholly owned subsidiary BAM Agricultural Solutions 2) Directed Selection, utilized in the development and production, in the prolonged zero/micro gravity environment of the International Space Station, of large volumes of non-GMO, novel, patentable stem cells with unique and beneficial characteristics.
This press release may contain certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Investors are cautioned that such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, including without limitation, acceptance of the Company’s products, increased levels of competition for the Company, new products and technological changes, the Company’s dependence on third-party suppliers, and other risks detailed from time to time in the Company’s periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Except as required by applicable law or regulation, Zero Gravity Solutions undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that occur after the date on which such statements were made.
Zero Gravity Solutions, Inc.
Harvey Kaye, +1 561-416-0400
Chairman
info@zerogsi.com