The Southwestern Oklahoma State University (SWOSU) Department of Biological Sciences is proud to announce that a team of SWOSU Biology students won the Most Innovative Experiment Award at the Plant the Moon Challenge for their study on “Mammal Scat vs. Worm Casting Viability in Simulated Mars-Regolith Soil in a Controlled Greenhouse Environment.” The SWOSU MARS team competed in the Undergraduate/Professional Division during the Spring 2023 Season.
Led by Dr. Lisa Castle, Professor of Biology at SWOSU, the team consists of Payden Farnsley, Kade Flores, Ria Govind, Natalie Harris, Saraya Hunt, Courtney Johnson, Stevie Langstraat, Chloe Mellott, Macayla McIntyre, and Rachel Uhlig.
The Plant the Moon Challenge is an international competition designed to challenge scientists to develop ways to grow food in lunar or Martian regolith while exploring solutions to sustaining space exploration. The Most Innovative Experiment Award received by the SWOSU MARS team is one of four Best of Show awards given at the competition. The others are Plant Growth, Experimental Design, and Analysis of Results.
The participating students were provided with support in the form of a $1,000 scholarship from the NASA Space Grant Program.
SWOSU takes great pride in recognizing and commending the accomplishments of this remarkable team. Their commitment to expanding knowledge and contributing to the scientific community is truly commendable.