Annalisa Paul is a co-director of the UF Space Plants Lab, which has a goal of one day growing plants on Mars. Paul says that the key to understanding plants in different environments is studying gene changes, a task completed using GoPro cameras that track changes via images and video.

“We need plants if we want to be more than just tourists in space,” said Paul. “What we’re trying to do is see how we can understand how to make better adapted, better useful plants in a spaceflight environment, and an exploration environment like going to the moon and Mars.”

• Annalisa Paul