• The specifically designed yeast and its powdered food source are kept in the container on the left for the BioNutrients experiment.
• The lid of the container contains a membrane that allows the yeast's carbon dioxide to escape.
• Another filter system that leads into the compartment containing the microorganisms is shielded by the clear tube to the right.

If NASA had been around during the era of high seas exploration, sailors could have been able to avoid contracting scurvy. Numerous people perished after spending months at sea without access to fresh fruits and vegetables due to the ailment, which is brought on by a vitamin C shortage. Astronauts will also need a way to eat properly in the era of deep space exploration. 

It may be necessary to manufacture food and nutrients in space if a trip to the Moon or Mars will last for several years. An early form of a potential remedy is being tested by NASA scientists: getting microbes to manufacture essential nutrients so that astronauts can consume them whenever they are needed. The same type of technology created for space could aid in supplying food for people in isolated regions of our world.

 Over the course of five years, astronauts on board the International Space Station will assist in testing a novel technology as part of the BioNutrients-1 project. It was created using the following methodology by researchers at NASA's Ames Research Center in California's Silicon Valley: take a safe organism already present in our food (in this case, baker's yeast), modify it so that it produces an essential nutrient, and build the necessary hardware to let astronauts grow the yeast in space. 

The microbes will set about producing the desired product, much like small living factories. In this experiment, the yeast will create the nutrients known as beta carotene and zeaxanthin. These anti-oxidants, which are typically present in vegetables, are essential for maintaining the health of our eyes. 

Even though they won't be eating anything for the BioNutrients-1 experiment, astronauts on the space station will test the system extensively. For each test, they'll combine dried yeast and its powdered food source with sterile water, stir well, and keep the packet warm for 48 hours. Then, they'll freeze it for subsequent analysis when they return to Earth. The effectiveness of the system, including how much yeast proliferated in the packets and how much nutrition was generated, will be evaluated by NASA experts.