Daily Lobo new mexico
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Monday, Februar y 5, 2024 | Vo l u m e 1 2 8 | I s s u e 2 3
UNM researchers send tomatoes to space
Breaking Dawn at the SUB
By Nate Bernard @DailyLobo
University of New Mexico researchers sent tomatoes to space in an endeavor called the Trichoderma Associated Space Tomato Inoculation Experiment (TASTIE). On Tuesday, Jan. 30, the tomato seedlings were launched in a partially reusable Falcon 9 Block 5 rocket into space and joined the International Space Station (ISS) on Thursday, Feb. 1, according to Everyday Astronaut. The purpose of TASTIE is to analyze how these tomatoes will grow in space compared to how they grow on Earth. The fungus Trichoderma – common in all types of soils on Earth – will be utilized to study how the stress-resistant properties of the fungus impact the growth of tomatoes in space, according to UNM Newsroom. The experiment was done in collaboration with the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Researchers chose to use the Red Robin variety of tomatoes, according to the UW-Madison Gilroy Life Science Lab. The Red Robin tomato’s small size and fast growth accommodates the limited space of the ISS, David Hanson – UNM biology professor and lead TASTIE researcher said. “No one’s tried this sort of interaction in space with tomatoes,” Hanson said. On the ISS, astronauts will measure the conditions and growth of the tomatoes for two weeks. They will harvest and freeze plant material, then send the plants to researchers at UNM through a space capsule, Hanson said. Once UNM receives the frozen plant material, researchers will compare carbon dioxide isotopes of the TASTIE tomatoes and Earth-grown tomatoes to discover the experimented tomatoes’ efficiency, Hanson said. This research can aid longterm space missions by discovering the conditions that will maximize vegetable growth in space. “We really want to work towards being part of a team that has plants growing on the moon. That’s something that we expect to see in the next handful of years,” Hanson said. The launch initially suffered delays, pushing its initial launch date June 2023 to Jan. 29, 2024. The launch was delayed again until Jan. 30 due to necessary space capsule modifications,
Hanson said. Another problem arose during preparation when Hanson and his team almost ran out of liquid nitrogen – a freezing agent used in the experiment to freeze the tomatoes before sending them up. “The University is never out of nitrogen but they didn’t have any backup. Fortunately, we ended up being fast enough (to freeze the experimented material) that we didn’t run out,” Hanson said. The plant samples, Hanson said, are expected to be delivered to UNM by March, with the researchers’ findings complete three to six months after. The experiment is a part of UNM’s Grand Challenges Initiative, which aims to create sustainable space research opportunities at the University. Hanson hopes the experiment will help build resources for research on campus and encourage students and faculty to pursue space research at UNM. Hanson recommends students interested in space-related research to fill out the CHILI HOUSE application. The application is for UNM’s NASA Minority Innovation Challenges Institute for Discovery and Space — an undergraduate research project related to NASA’s Artemis mission, according to NASA minds. “Whether you’re a student who just started, or you’re a student who is just about ready to finish – if you’re interested in an experiment, internship or in what space jobs there are, we’d love to know what people want to know,” Hanson said. Nate Bernard is a beat reporter with the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at news@dailylobo. com or on Twitter @DailyLobo
Courtesy Photo
Tomato plant. Courtesy of Unsplash.
Katrina Estrada / @rinaphoto / Daily Lobo
People line up outside of the SUB Theater to watch “Breaking Dawn” 1 and 2 on Saturday, Feb. 3. (see pg. 6)
Legislation similar to unconstitutional ordinance proposed in Santa Fe By Karina Bolaños @DailyLobo A New Mexico senator has proposed a bill that would make the act of seeking or providing roadside donations illegal. Similar City legislation was previously struck down in a court of appeals. In 2017, the City of Albuquerque tried to instate an ordinance that would ban the same. Courts later deemed the legislation a violation of Freedom of Speech in Martin v. City of Albuquerque. The current legislation, Senate Bill 248, is sponsored by Senator Leo Jaramillo (D). The Bill is scheduled to be heard on Monday, Feb. 5 by the Senate Health Public Affairs Committee and was deemed appropriate for the short legislative session on Thursday, Feb. 1. This bill is supported by the Governor of New Mexico, Michelle Lujan Grisham. One member of the unhoused community, Rasheed Fargiyev, discussed their emotions and experiences regarding the bill and ordinances prior. “This is people’s livelihoods –
this is how I survive, you know what I mean?” Fargiyev said. “Traditional public forums” are spaces that are often deemed as “open to political speech and debate,” according to Cornell Law. If passed, the bill will prohibit people from seeking and giving donations at spaces that are not a “traditional public forum,” such as sidewalks and curbs. Those who do could be charged with a petty misdemeanor and be liable for imprisonment of up to six months or forced to pay a fine of up to $500. The goal of the potential ban is to “(increase) public safety and vehicular efficiency,” according to Lujan Grisham’s press release. The unhoused population has risen by 6% since 2017. In New Mexico, around 12 people out of every 10,000 were experiencing homelessness in 2022, according to the National Alliance to End Homelessness. The American Civil Liberties Union originally challenged the 2017 ordinance in Martin v. City of Albuquerque. Barron Jones – investigation and research manager for the ACLU of New Mexico – is wary of the proposed state legislation. “If SB 248 becomes law, it will
create obstacles that make it difficult to obtain many of the things that you and I take for granted – like fresh water, food and shelter – for some of our less fortunate community members,” Jones said. There have already been arrests for “the illegal use of public spaces,” Jones said. He said that since August, he has seen a sharp incline of people housed in jails like the Metropolitan Detention Center. Many people experiencing homelessness, Fargiyev said, are frequently down on their luck, often have mental health issues that have not been addressed and need these donations as a short-term solution. Regarding the ways being unhoused has been criminalized, Fargiyev recounted a time they were arrested for sleeping in a public space. “I used to sleep at UNM because it was one of the safest places, and one of the only spaces that would keep you from freezing to death. They were looking for people like me, and they were putting them in jail for (sleeping) there,” Fargiyev said. Facing fines and imprisonment
see Legislation page 9