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Season Five Research Files
Episode Fifteen
9:00pm - 10:00pm
Given NASA’s experience in monitoring air for astronauts, their research has proved to also benefit national security.
Since plants produce ethylene, a natural gas byproduct, all plant research aboard space shuttles had to be in isolated chambers separated from humans. A machine “scrubber” was developed to remove ethylene from the air. A commercial company licensed this technology to create a product that would do the same thing for florists and grocers seeking to lengthen the shelf life of flowers, fruits, and vegetables kept in enclosed cold storage. With an addition of fans, this product got rid of airborne bacteria and molds.
After the first anthrax attacks in late 2001, the company found that their product also killed anthrax spores and live bacteria, such as smallpox. In 2003, the FDA gave it clearance to be used in hospitals as a solution for antiterrorism and emergency preparedness.
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