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Spinoff story
NASA Plant Research Offers a Breath of Fresh Air
A real-world story of NASA technology finding a life beyond the mission.
About this technology
Overview
In the 1980s, Stennis Space Center researcher W.C. Wolverton studied how to maximize the air-scrubbing potential of houseplants. He found that, perhaps counter-intuitively, plant roots and associated microorganisms in the soil did the bulk of the work, not plant leaves. AIRY GreenTech, a Hamburg, Germany-based company has designed plant pots based on this research, maximizing airflow through the soil and roots to increase air filtering and improve plant health. The products are available in some 50 countries around the world.