Hope Hersh
Personal Information
Born: Unknown
Country of Birth: USA
Nationality: USA
Ethnicity: White
Education
Michigan State University BS Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, & Plant biology 2017; currently PhD candidate University of Florida
Professional Life
Field of Study: Biology
Institution/Corporation: NASA
Degrees & Memberships: none
Awards & Achievements
Awards: none
Achievements: Led the team that developed Space Bread; researching SFR2 gene (Sensitive to Freezing 2) in tomatoes
Developed a bread recipe that is self-contained, crumbless, & can be made within its storage badge for astronauts to use in space (Space Bread)
Is a PhD student at the University of Florida in Plant Cellular & Molecular Biology; expected graduation in December 2023
Won $25,000 in NASAs Deep Space Food Challenge for her bread
Bread comes in bright colors, orange, yellow, red & green, depending on what algae is added for nutritional value
As a doctoral student, created Space Bread, a way for astronauts to enjoy fresh bread in space
Created an FEP (fluorinated ethylene propylene) bag that could hold all the bread ingredients, mix them, allow the dough to rise, & bake in the oven; bread had to be crumb-less because crumbs would float in zero-G & get into the equipment
Used edible algae & bio-fortified yeast strains to make the bread more nutritious