WHAT WE DO / PROJECTS

From Research to Regenerative Life Support Systems

Propagule works at the intersection of ecology, technology, and space systems. Our focus is on developing the knowledge, tools, and collaborative research needed to make closed ecological life support possible.

We are starting with focused research and scalable test systems that can grow over time, from small experimental ecosystems to larger controlled environments and future space-based applications.

Ecosystem Control 
Understanding How Living Systems Stay Balanced

Closed ecological systems require more than individual components. They require an understanding of how energy, nutrients, organisms, and environmental conditions interact over time.

Propagule studies how ecosystem function can be monitored, modeled, and guided using variables such as light, temperature, nutrients, and feedback loops. This work helps identify the “control knobs” needed to support stable, resilient living systems.

The Jar Project 
Starting Small to Understand Complex Systems

The Jar Project is an early-stage research platform designed to study small, self-monitoring closed ecosystems. By starting with manageable experimental systems, Propagule can test how ecological subsystems interact, how resources cycle, and how stability can be maintained without constant outside resupply. This project provides a practical starting point for understanding the principles that future closed-loop habitats will need.

Kynes Labs 
Building Toward Integrated Test Facilities

Kynes Labs represents Propagule’s longer-term goal of creating controlled research environments for studying ecosystem control and closed ecological life support.

These facilities would allow researchers to test larger and more complex systems, connect models to real-world data, and develop technologies that can eventually support human life in space.

Kynes Pod 
A Future Closed-Loop Habitat Testbed

Kynes Pod is Propagule’s long-term vision for a human-sustaining closed-loop facility on Earth.

The goal is to create an integrated environment where ecological life support technologies can be tested with humans in the loop, helping solve the scientific and engineering challenges that must be addressed before these systems can support future space communities.

Open-Source Research and Tools 
Building a Shared Foundation for the Field

Propagule supports open science and collaborative technology development.

By creating and sharing research tools, models, software, and best practices, Propagule aims to help scientists, engineers, educators, and partners accelerate progress in bioregenerative life support.