While researching for her undergraduate thesis at Duke University, Morgan Irons, realized that her concepts on plant growth in dead Martian soil and her now patented quasi-closed agro-ecological systems for space could be utilized on Earth to help solve issues surrounding food security. With dwindling agricultural resources, extreme weather changes, and local economic collapse affecting millions of people in both developed and developing countries, Morgan recognized the need for more sustainable solutions for feeding humanity. Putting that research to use, Morgan and her father, Lee, established Deep Space Ecology (DSE) in June 2016. DSE develops innovative agricultural models that work to grow food everywhere from the family farm to the most uninhabitable places on, and off Earth. A single small voice in the current commercial dominance of hydroponic systems for Earth and space, Morgan has captured industry attention. She has changed the conversation from simply supplementing established food systems with leafy greens to increasing the variety and dietary value of foods being grown in closed-loop systems, while addressing the non-sustainable cost of highly engineered agricultural systems on Earth and risk in deep space.

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