UA-CEAC and UbiQD publish results of NASA-funded study
CEAC and UbiQD, Inc. to publish groundbreaking research of its first phase in its NASA-funded plant trials.
Artist’s rendition of UbiQD’s quantum dot-enabled greenhouse film, UbiGro™, installed in a lunar greenhouse growing tomatoes.
UbiQD, Inc. (PRNewsfoto/UbiQD, Inc.)
UbiQD,Inc, a New Mexico based advanced material company partnered with the University of Arizona Controlled Environment Agriculture Center to publish groundbreaking research of its first phase in its NASA-funded plant trials. The peer-reviewed study is titled "Optimizing Spectral Quality for Growing Plants on Space Missions Using Quantum Dot Films." The research resides in the open-access Nature Research journal, “Communications Biology”. The groundbreaking research validates the use of optimizing spectral quality with quantum dots to enhance crop growth in controlled environments. The research showed the importance of Using CulnS2/ZnS quantum dot films to increase biomass accumulation in lettuce.
Dr. Gene Giacomelli, a professor of Biosystems Engineering took part of this research and expressed that this "technology is about the betterment of crop production, and will lead to new strategies for optimizing production in greenhouses." We want to recognize BE Alum Charles Parrish (MA, 2020) for leading this research under Dr. Gene Giacomelli. BE graduate student, Michael Blum, will be continuing research with UbiQD for the next two years.