Dr. Porterfield's primary research focus is understanding the biophysical spaceflight environment at the molecular membrane/organelle stress level, translated through cellular signaling to whole organism responses. Using a "first principles" biophysical approach this work focuses on enabling the integration of bioregenerative life support systems (BLiSS), with controlled ecological agriculture, and precision medicine using computational systems genomics and differential transcriptomics (Biosystomics) to support deep space, long duration human exploration. This work also includes the development and application of biomimetic/biophysical sensor technology leveraging biosensors, bio-MEMS, bio-nanotechnology, and lab-on-a-chip systems to support novel research to understand how living systems adapt and respond to the biophysical spaceflight environment. He has worked on microgravity-based crop hydroponics and is the inventor of mycoponics for substrate free mycoproduction. Dr. Porterfield served NASA as Division Director (now BPS, NASA HQ, 2012-2016) overseeing the Human Research, Physical Sciences and Space Biology programs, while envisioning and enabling the GeneLab Open Science program, and the original Twins Study. Now back at Purdue he now serves as the Science PI for the Lunar Effects on Agricultural Flora (LEAF) Payload for the Artemis 4 Lunar Mission.