Spores in Space: Fungal Bio-Mining; Cool Science program

This looks like a good presentation. Plan to arrive early and grab a chair at the east end of 2nd store space, near the screen. No need to buy anything, unless you want good food and drink. Presenters begin at 6:30 pm with food and drink available beginning at 6:00 pm.

| Science on Tap - A Program of Cool Science in Colorado Springs |
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Monday, July 14, 2025 21 S Tejon Jack Quinn's

Spores in Space: Fungal Bio-Mining for Sustainable Off-World Construction

.Joseph M. Bate, UCCS Physics Dept |
| Summary: What if the key to sustainable space exploration is…mold? My research team is sending Aspergillus niger—a humble black fungus— to the International Space Station to test its ability to “bio-leach” valuable metals in a microgravity environment. By producing organic acids, these microbes can extract nickel, iron, and other elements without the heavy, power-hungry machinery or chemicals that traditional mining demands. In this interactive talk I’ll unpack the biology, chemistry, and engineering behind fungal biomining, show preliminary Earth-gravity results, and how these strategies will advance building infrastructure, provide rocket fuel, and sustain life in extraterrestrial environments like the Moon, Mars, and beyond. Come learn why the future of space construction (and responsible recycling) might just start in a petri dish.

Joseph is a disabled U.S. Army combat veteran and physics major at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS). He leads undergraduate teams studying mycelium growth and fungal biomining for in-situ resource utilization on the ISS and is pilot-testing an e-waste recycling program at UCCS. A passionate science-outreach advocate, Joseph recently served as a student body senator, a voting member of the Green Action Fund Committee (GAF) and founded the start-up “EV3 Evolving Vital Ecosystems LLC” for sustainable space resource acquisition. |

* unfortunately there is no elevator