Meet Canada's Rock Star of Plant Research, Dr. Mike Dixon.
Dr. MIke Dixon formed the Space and Advanced Life Support Agriculture (SALSA) program at the University of Guelph. This program currently represents Canada’s main contribution to the international space science objectives in biological life support and collaborates with NASA, Canadian Space Agency and European Space Agency.
Dr. Mike Dixon is a Professor in the School of Environmental Sciences and Director of the Controlled Environment Systems Research Facility (CESRF), University of Guelph. He served as Chair of the Department of Environmental Biology from 2003-2008. Dr. Dixon joined the University as a NSERC University Research Fellow after earning his PhD from Edinburgh University in Scotland and holding a post-doctoral position at the University of Toronto. As project leader for the Canadian research team investigating the contributions of plants to life support in space, Dr. Dixon formed the Space and Advanced Life Support Agriculture (SALSA) program at the University of Guelph. This program currently represents Canada’s main contribution to the international space science objectives in biological life support and collaborates with NASA, Canadian Space Agency and European Space Agency. The CESRF is among the world’s leading research venues for technology developments and research dedicated to studying plant and microbial interactions in advanced life support systems. The technical “pull” of space exploration has aided the development of a wide range of technologies that have spun off into applications in terrestrial agri-food sectors and most notably the phyto-pharmaceutical (medicine from plants) sector in recent years.
Projects
Centre for Medicinal Plant Health Research
Centre for Medicinal Plant Health Research
Centre for Medicinal Plant Health Research
We are about to be the world’s leading cannabis research venue for phyto-pharmaceutical applications. Growing cannabis through Controlled Environment Agriculture Technologies to ensure consistent production of medical compounds will be a major focus. In time, clinical trials will help make cannabis a conventional pharmaceutical commodity.
Deep Space Food Challenge
Centre for Medicinal Plant Health Research
Centre for Medicinal Plant Health Research
University of Guelph Plant Research Projects; The Deep Space Food Challenge is a prize competition launched for controlled environment agriculture technologies for food production on Mars in parallel, in Canada by the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), and in the U.S. by NASA Centennial Challenges Program.
EDEN ISS — Ground Demonstration of Plant Cultivation Technologies for Safe Food Production in Space
EDEN ISS — Ground Demonstration of Plant Cultivation Technologies for Safe Food Production in Space
EDEN ISS — Ground Demonstration of Plant Cultivation Technologies for Safe Food Production in Space
A critical component of future, human exploration to worlds unknown, will be the supply of edible food for crew members. To develop innovations in cultivating food in controlled environment agriculture plant research technologies becomes integral to future missions.
Tomatosphere™- An Out-Of-This -World Learning Program
EDEN ISS — Ground Demonstration of Plant Cultivation Technologies for Safe Food Production in Space
EDEN ISS — Ground Demonstration of Plant Cultivation Technologies for Safe Food Production in Space
Canadian Kindergarten through Grade 12 Educators – Investigate the effects of outer space on seed germination with your class. Tomatosphere™ is a hands-on program that builds scientific inquiry and experimentation skills.
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