Mona Schiefloe

Mona Schiefloe holds a MSc in Biology and a BSc in Sociology. She has worked as a Research Scientist at CIRiS since 2010. Research activities emphasize on plant production in closed systems, spaceflight Life Support Systems and greenhouses.

Of particular interest is the impact of environmental factors on plant growth and development. Special emphasis is put on recirculation of water and nutrients, monitoring and control of nutrient solution composition, resource recycling between biological systems, use of sensor- and camera technologies for plant monitoring and process control of the plant growth facilities. The aim is to achieve increased knowledge on plant development under different environmental conditions, contributing towards a more optimized plant food production both in Space and on Earth.

Research projects span from international projects on Life Support Systems funded by the European Space Agency and the Norwegian Research Council, to cooperation with local farmers in their greenhouses. Schiefloe is also involved in research, planning and execution of plant experiments on the International Space Station. In addition to plant biology research, Schiefloe has several years of practical experience from integration and operation of spaceflight projects and is a certified console operator for ESA and NASA for the International Space Station program.