« on: January 22, 2009, 01:47:20 AM »
ScienceNOW Daily NewsThe Silk Road once connected China to the rest of the world. Now, Chinese researchers propose that silkworms could provide a lifeline for long missions to outer space by serving as meals for astronauts.
To survive for years in space, astronauts may need to bring along miniature ecosystems that provide necessities such as oxygen and food. Past research into what animal protein astronauts might live on has assessed poultry, fish, and even sea urchin larvae. All of these animals have drawbacks. Poultry needs a large amount of food and space, which is typically limited on expeditions, and it produces a lot of excrement. Fish and other aquatic life are very sensitive to water conditions, disturbances in which could delay spawning, hatching, and development.
Enter silkworms. As environmental scientist Hong Liu of Beihang University in Beijing and colleagues explained online 24 December in Advances in Space Research, the insects breed quickly, require little space and water, and generate only small amounts of excrement, which could serve as fertilizer. Plus, silkworm pupae are mostly protein, the team reported, and when it comes to essential amino acids, they contain twice as much as pork does and four times as much as eggs and milk.
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Sounds yummy.
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