FURI | Spring 2026

Cultivation of Pleurotus ostreatus (oyster mushrooms) for In-Situ Resource Utilization on the Moon

Developing a sustainable ecosystem on the moon will require the use of In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) to limit the upmass from Earth. This project explores the interaction between lunar regolith simulant and fungi for in-situ food production and as a material binding agent. Six substrates were made with various percentages of lunar simulant and traditional mushroom food and then inoculated with Pleurotus ostreatus grain spawn. This experiment examined the ability of each substrate to produce fruiting bodies as well as the ability of mycelium to grow within an inert material. As primary decomposers in terrestrial ecosystems, fungi can enable closed-loop, regenerative life-support and biomanufacturing systems for sustained extraterrestrial habitation.