His first experiment as a teenager? An underwater bomb. Kent Kobayashi still has all ten fingers, but his aunts needed a new sink to do their laundry. 
In a recent interview with Astrobotany.com, the Associate Professor in the Dept. of Tropical Plant and Soil Sciences shared his love of science, the insatiable curiosity that has driven a career in agricultural research, and his endeavors into space farming models that could one day feed astronauts on Mars.
Two recent presentations, “Simulated Martian Soil for Hydroponically Grown Pak Choi Plants” and “The Lab on the Edge of Forever: Mentoring Space Farming Student Projects” led to the interview.
“I am honored to have been interviewed about my career and the love I have for plants, science, and science fiction,” says Kent, also a Fellow of the American Society for Horticultural Science.
“I am excited to be conducting research that will benefit the state of Hawaiʻi through controlled environment agriculture, indoor farming and vertical farming,” he adds. “They will become increasingly important for our food security and environmental sustainability.”
Read the full interview.
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