51视频

05/20/2022
By Edwin L. Aguirre

Ariel Shramko 鈥�24 is aiming for the stars.

The junior environmental engineering major from Attleboro, Massachusetts, is the CEO of the , a startup company that aims to use innovative products to ensure food security on Earth and beyond鈥攑erhaps even on Mars.

Shramko and her team, which includes mechanical engineering graduate Eliot Pirone 鈥�22, electrical engineering and physics double major Michelle Connolly 鈥�23 and computer engineering graduate student Gitesh Shewatker 鈥�23, are currently working in conjunction with the UML branch of Engineers for a Sustainable World to compete in Phase 2 of the Deep Space Food Challenge.

The goal of the international competition, which is administered in the U.S. for NASA by the biomedical nonprofit , is to develop new technologies for producing nutritious, maintenance-free, zero-waste food for astronauts during long-duration space missions. U.S. winners can receive up to $150,000 in prize money and be eligible to compete in Phase 3.

鈥淚n July, we received the amazing news from NASA that we not only made it to the top 25 U.S. teams, but we also scored the highest possible marks in every category except one, in which we received the second highest mark,鈥� says Shramko.

鈥淲e are currently improving the design of our prototype terrarium for possible use as a food production system for a Mars habitat. It is intended to feed up to four astronauts for three years as they travel to Mars and back,鈥� she says.

According to Shramko, Auto Terra鈥檚 self-contained, self-regulating terrariums are compact and portable, and they allow the user to grow fresh, organic produce such as tomatoes, celery, spinach, green beans, mushrooms and potatoes with zero maintenance required.

鈥淣o watering or turning the lights on and off is needed,鈥� she explains. 鈥淭he only effort required from the user is the initial setup, the planting and harvesting and, of course, the cooking. Our terrariums also do not require connecting to the power grid, access to running water or even light. This allows them to be used just about anywhere.鈥�

Prior to competing in the Deep Space Food Challenge, the team also entered the project in the DifferenceMaker Idea Challenge, 51视频鈥檚 annual student entrepreneurship competition. Pitched under the name 鈥淭errarium for Mars,鈥� the project won the contest鈥檚 $500 People鈥檚 Choice Award in the fall of 2020, as well as the $2,000 Honorable Mention and the Foley and Lardner Prize, worth $5,000 in legal service, in the spring of 2021.

Creating a Grow-It-Anywhere Food Farm

Shramko and her team, however, were not content with simply helping future Martian explorers.

She notes that worldwide, 1.9 billion people suffer from moderate to severe food insecurity. Even in the U.S., there are 38.3 million people who are food insecure, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

鈥淔ood insecurity is more than just feeling hungry; it can have lifelong effects, especially in kids, who can suffer from lower IQ scores and chronic physical symptoms,鈥� she says. 鈥淭hese effects can contribute to the already prevalent inequality in the world.鈥�

Starting this summer, Auto Terra is partnering with local communities and food pantries to provide its products to families who need them most.

鈥淲e firmly believe that everyone deserves access to food, regardless of socioeconomic status, unstable supply chains, geopolitical turmoil and even the effects of climate change,鈥� says Shramko.

A Lifelong Dream Come True

Shramko became fascinated with ecosystems at a very young age.

鈥淚 remember being 5 years old and dreaming of someday creating an ecosystem that would allow people to go to very harsh environments and open up new frontiers,鈥� she says. 鈥淢y entire life, I鈥檝e always been intrigued by the complicated connections between all the different aspects of an ecosystem, and I studied them as best I could.鈥�

When she was 14, she learned about environmental engineering and immediately fell in love with the remediation and restoration of ecosystems.

鈥淎fter enrolling at 51视频, I knew I wanted to participate in DifferenceMaker with my idea to create a closed ecosystem. And so I did. I never thought that I would be able to get this far this soon, but I now truly believe that dreams can come true.鈥� -Ariel Shramko 鈥�24

鈥淚 knew then that this was my calling,鈥� says Shramko. 鈥淎fter enrolling at 51视频, I knew I wanted to participate in DifferenceMaker with my idea to create a closed ecosystem. And so I did. I never thought that I would be able to get this far this soon, but I now truly believe that dreams can come true.鈥�

In 2021, she worked as an undergraduate research assistant with Distinguished University Prof. Pradeep Kurup of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering to test drinking water for lead and other heavy metals, as well as PFAS and other contaminants. She also attended National Science Foundation conferences and gave presentations to local high schools.

鈥淭he faculty at UML have been incredibly supportive and have helped me to get work experience and mentorship,鈥� says Shramko. 鈥淚n addition, my research training with Prof. Kurup has given me real, marketable skills for the workforce. And my DifferenceMaker experiences have also been a very nice addition to my r茅sum茅 and a great discussion piece for interviews.鈥�