MS prof to work on Mars research

Tougaloo (Miss.) College professor Santanu Banerjee is going to assist with research in preparation for NASA’s goal to explore Mars in the 2030s. He got a $26,000 grant to conduct research that mimics environmental conditions on the Red Planet, like UV radiation, humidity and microgravity. The goal is to test the survival rate of bacteria samples. Banerjee is also a Mississippi IDeA Network on Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE) research development award recipient. INBRE is housed at the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg. It provides benefits to researchers and students across the state for biomedical research through funding by the National Institutes of Health. (Source: Clarion Ledger brief 10/14/17)