Gabriel Ramon Garcia
Aerospace engineering
Hometown: Maricopa, AZ, United States
Graduation date: Spring 2026
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 the capacity of mycelium to structurally stabilize regolith simulant. As primary decomposers in terrestrial ecosystems, fungi can enable closed-loop, regenerative life-support and biomanufacturing systems for sustained extraterrestrial habitation.
Mentor: Frederick Garrett, Ivan Ermanoski
It’s hip to be square.
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