Date Time Martian Menu: How to grow food on another planet As scientists look above with dreams of human settlements on Mars, research is underway into growing food on alien worlds. The University of Southern Queensland is working with NASA to help pave the way for manned expeditions to the Red Planet by utilising the expertise of Australian crop health scientists. Ecologist Dr Adam Frew researches sustainable plant production, including how crops respond to environmental change – and, unsurprisingly, said growing food in space is quite the challenge. “The microbiome of a plant on Earth is made up of all sorts of bacteria and fungi, mainly around the roots, providing vital nutrients,” Dr Frew said.