{"id":1987,"date":"2025-09-27T11:31:02","date_gmt":"2025-09-27T08:31:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/eng\/?p=1987"},"modified":"2025-11-20T12:37:34","modified_gmt":"2025-11-20T09:37:34","slug":"microbes-as-part-of-biodiversity-in-space-flights","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/eng\/2025\/09\/27\/microbes-as-part-of-biodiversity-in-space-flights\/","title":{"rendered":"Microbes as part of biodiversity in space flights"},"content":{"rendered":"

Astronauts arriving and returning from space stations carry trillions of microscopic organisms with them. For example, new species of space-adapted bacteria have been discovered on China’s Tiangong space station. Recently, 26 previously unknown species of bacteria were discovered in NASA’s cleanrooms\u2014some of the most sterile environments ever created by humanity. Another study shows that, under stress, strains isolated from the ISS mutated and became genetically and functionally distinct from their terrestrial counterparts.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

New species of space-adapted bacteria have been discovered on China’s Tiangong space station. Scientists discovered a previously unknown microbial strain after analyzing samples taken from the Tiangong space station.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The new strain of microbe, officially named Niallia tiangongensis, was discovered in microbial samples collected from the surface of Tiangong during the Shenzhou-15 manned mission, which returned to Earth in June 2023.<\/span><\/p>\n

The new microbe is an aerobic, spore-forming, rod-shaped bacterium, according to its description in a peer-reviewed article in the International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology, published in March 2025. This is the first time a new species has been discovered aboard the three-module Tiangong space station in low Earth orbit.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\nAn artistic rendering of China’s Tiangong space station. China Manned Space Administration<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

The new species is most closely related to a species found on Earth in soil and waste, which can cause infections and even sepsis in immunocompromised individuals. Morphological studies, genome sequencing, phylogenetic analysis, and metabolic profiling identified it as a new strain belonging to the genus Niallia of the Cytobacillaceae family.<\/span><\/p>\n

“Understanding the characteristics of microbes during long-duration spaceflight is critical to protecting the health of astronauts and maintaining the performance of spacecraft,” the article says.<\/span><\/p>\n

The new microbe’s apparent adaptation to orbital conditions distinguishes it from its terrestrial relatives. Niallia tiangongensis exhibits an enhanced response to oxidative stress and a unique ability to form biofilms, which facilitates recovery from radiation exposure.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to the article, these adaptations, caused by structural and functional differences in the two types of proteins, demonstrate that the microbe has evolved mechanisms to help it survive in the extreme conditions of the space environment.<\/span><\/p>\n

The authors of the paper are researchers from the Shenzhou Space Biotechnology Group and the Beijing Institute of Spacecraft Systems Engineering.<\/span><\/p>\n

Chinese astronauts working aboard Tiangong regularly collect microbial samples from the air, surfaces, and water points on the space station to monitor the state of the environment.<\/span><\/p>\n

This isn’t the first time a new species has been discovered in space. Although space stations are relatively clean environments and are exposed to higher doses of radiation than the Earth’s surface, astronauts arriving and returning from space stations carry trillions of microscopic organisms with them.<\/span><\/p>\n

A number of new bacteria have been discovered on the International Space Station, including strains of bacteria that could help astronauts grow crops on Mars.<\/span><\/p>\n

Recently, 26 previously unknown species of bacteria were discovered in NASA’s cleanrooms\u2014some of the most sterile places ever created by humanity, designed to prevent the transfer of unwanted microbes from spacecraft to other planetary bodies.<\/span><\/p>\n

Research aboard Tiangong also includes an assessment of microbial interactions with onboard materials, China Central Television (CCTV) reported, citing the China Manned Space Agency. The tests include studying the effects of the fungus Aspergillus niger (black mold) on various materials, such as polyurethane-coated circuit boards, bare copper boards, and heat-shrink tubing, to further understand how microbial colonies can cause corrosion in space conditions.<\/span><\/p>\n

Multidrug-resistant bacteria have been discovered on the ISS, mutating and becoming functionally different. In a research paper funded by an Ames Space Biology grant, principal investigator Dr. Kasthuri Venkateswaran of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory studied strains of Enterobacter bugandensis isolated from the International Space Station (ISS).<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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\nResearch on the International Space Station. NASA<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Thirteen strains of E. bugandensis, a bacterium known for its multidrug-resistant properties, were isolated from the ISS. The study’s results show that, under stress, the strains isolated from the ISS mutated and became genetically and functionally distinct from their terrestrial counterparts. The strains were able to survive viably on the ISS for long periods of time in significant numbers. E. bugandensis coexisted with numerous other microorganisms and, in some cases, may have contributed to the survival of these organisms.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

Closed artificial environments like the ISS are unique zones with extreme conditions, exposed to microgravity, radiation, and elevated carbon dioxide levels. Any microorganisms entering these zones must adapt to thrive. By studying microbial dynamics in extreme conditions, this research opens the door to developing effective preventative measures to protect the health of astronauts.<\/span><\/p>\n

A small group of scientists from the Biofilm Team at NASA’s Marshall Space Center in Huntsville, Alabama, is exploring solutions for combating fast-growing colonies of bacteria or fungi, known as biofilm, for future space missions.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Biofilm forms when a cluster of bacteria or fungi forms a slimy matrix of “extracellular polymeric substances” to protect themselves from adverse environmental factors. Biofilm can be found almost anywhere, from the gray-green foam on the surface of stagnant pond water to the pinkish sediment in a dirty bathtub.<\/span><\/p>\n

For healthcare, food processing, and wastewater treatment facilities, biofilm often poses a costly problem. But beyond Earth, biofilm is proving even more resilient.<\/span><\/p>\n

“Bacteria ignore many of the challenges humans face in space, including microgravity, pressure changes, ultraviolet radiation, nutrient levels, and even radiation,” says Yo-Ann Velez-Justiniano, a microbiologist and environmental systems engineer at Marshall.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\nYo-Ann Velez-Justiniano (left) and Connor Murphy (right), environmental control and life support systems engineers at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, prepare specimens for a cultured bacterial biofilm study in the center’s test facility. NASA\/Eric Beitl<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

“Biofilm is nasty, sticky, and hard to kill,” said Liesel Koellner, a chemical engineer and NASA Pathways intern at North Carolina State University in Raleigh. Koellner used sophisticated epifluorescence microscopy\u2014the 3D imaging of 2D images captured at different focal planes\u2014to refine her team’s findings.<\/span><\/p>\n

Recognizing the potential challenges biofilm could pose for future Artemis-era spacecraft and lunar habitats, NASA commissioned Marshall engineers and chemists to explore mitigation methods. Marshall built and maintains the International Space Station’s Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) and is developing next-generation air and water purification and recycling technologies, including wastewater tank assembly.<\/span><\/p>\n

“The wastewater holding tank is located upstream of most of our integrated water treatment systems. Because it’s a wastewater feed tank, bacteria and fungi thrive there, forming enough biofilm to clog channels and pipes along the route,” said Eric Beitl, ECLSS testing engineer at Marshall.<\/span><\/p>\n

Until now, the solution has been to remove and replace old equipment when its parts become clogged with biofilm. However, engineers want to avoid the need to resort to such methods.<\/span><\/p>\n

“Even with the possibility of 3D printing spare parts on the Moon or Mars, it makes sense to first find strategies to prevent biofilm buildup,” said V\u00e9lez-Justiniano.<\/span><\/p>\n

The group took its first step in June 2023, publishing the complete genome sequence of several bacterial strains isolated from the space station’s water purification system; all of them contribute to biofilm formation.<\/span><\/p>\n

They then designed a test rig that simulated conditions in a wastewater reservoir at an altitude of approximately 400 kilometers, allowing them to simultaneously study multiple mitigation options. The rig housed eight Centers for Disease Control and Prevention biofilm reactors\u2014cylindrical devices roughly the size of a runner’s water bottle\u2014each one-sixtieth the size of a real reservoir.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\nThe Biofilm Research Group at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center has assembled its own testbed for a months-long evaluation of various natural and chemical compounds and strategies for combating bacterial and fungal biofilm formation in a wastewater tank on the International Space Station. The testing will help NASA extend the life of water treatment and recycling equipment and ensure astronauts have access to clean, healthy water during long-duration missions in space and on other planets. NASA\/Eric Beitl<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Each bioreactor accommodates up to 21 unique specimens on glass slides, continuously flushed with a flow of real or surrogate wastewater, timed and measured by an automated system, and closely monitored by the team. Due to the bioreactor’s compact size, the test rig required 2.1 gallons of surrogate flow per week, continuously flowing at 0.1 milliliters per minute into each of the eight bioreactors.<\/span><\/p>\n

“We essentially created a set of miniature systems, each of which had to tolerate minute changes in temperature and pressure, maintain sterility, ensure autoclave functionality, and operate smoothly for weeks with minimal human intervention,” Beitl said. “One phase of the test series lasted 65 days continuously, and another 77 days. This was a unique engineering challenge.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Each bioreactor employed various surface fouling mitigation strategies, inlet\/outlet counteractants, antimicrobial coatings, and temperature levels. One promising trial utilized duckweed, a plant already recognized as a natural water purifier for its ability to trap toxins and control wastewater odor. By absorbing nutrients at the inlet\/outlet of the bioreactor, duckweed deprived bacteria of the substances they needed for growth, resulting in a 99.9% reduction in biofilm growth.<\/span><\/p>\n

During the three-month testing period, the teams took samples from each bioreactor at regular intervals and prepared them for microscopic examination to perform a detailed count of the biofilm colony-forming units on each plate.<\/span><\/p>\n

“Bacteria and fungi are smart,” said V\u00e9lez-Justiniano. “They adapt. We understand that solving this problem will require a comprehensive set of effective biofilm control methods.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Biofilm poses a challenge for long-duration spaceflight and missions to other worlds, where spare parts can be expensive or difficult to obtain. The Biofilm Mitigation Team continues to evaluate and publish results in collaboration with academic and industrial partners and will continue their research in a full-scale experiment in a tank on the Marshall Space Flight Facility. They hope to move on to flight testing, experimenting with various biofilm control methods in realistic orbital microgravity conditions to find solutions that will keep surfaces clean, water potable, and future explorers healthy.<\/span><\/p>\n

How do spaceflights affect tumor-bearing fruit fly hosts and their parasites? Like humans, fruit flies (a model organism for space research) also exhibit immune system dysfunction in space. Despite decades of research on fruit flies and wasps, little was known about how their immune systems interact with natural parasites in space.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Drosophila parasitoid wasps alter blood cell function, suppressing host immunity. This study, conducted in space (the Fruit Fly-03 laboratory, delivered to the ISS on SpaceX-14), examined naive and parasitized terrestrial and spaceflies from a tumor-free control group and a mutant strain with a blood tumor.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\nPigmentation: When comparing the wasps side by side, there is a clear difference in the melanization of the wing veins between the wild-type and each mutant. Lobe shape: The kona mutant has an angular wing, in contrast to the rounded lobe of the wild-type (vertical arrows in D\u2013F). S. Govind.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Surprisingly, tumor-free flies were more sensitive to space than tumor-bearing flies. Spaceflight increased the activity of immune genes and promoted tumor growth in the flies. The wasps remained harmful in space, but some developed heritable physical changes. These changes included “aurum” (changes in wing color and veins) and “kona” (changes in wing shape). Female wasps with two copies of the “kona” mutation were unable to lay eggs due to defects in their oviparous organs.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

This study will advance our understanding of host-parasite interactions. The results suggest the need to study more types of organisms, including plants and their natural parasites, in space. This will help us understand how hosts protect themselves and the potential dangers of parasites in space, which is important for astronaut health. Gene expression data from fruit flies (OSD-588) and two wasp species (OSD-609 and OSD-610) are publicly available in NASA’s Open Science Data Repository. These data are available to anyone for use and comparison with other spaceflight-related studies.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\nOvipositors of wild-type and mutant wasps. Homozygous female cones with defective ovipositors (used for oviposition), such as areas with broken integrity or branched ends (arrows), compared to continuous ovipositors with sharp ends in wild-type controls. S. Govind<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Solar lasers powered by the photosynthetic apparatus of bacteria could one day become a lightweight, simple, and reliable means of providing energy in space, replacing conventional heavy lenses and complex electronics that are cost prohibitive to operate.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

“Our plan is to use photosynthetic structures isolated from bacteria, and the idea is that they can be grown and continually replenished without needing to maintain a supply line from Earth,” Eric Gauger, professor of photonics and quantum science at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh and the leader of the new project, told Space.com.<\/span><\/p>\n

As the number of satellites orbiting our planet continues to grow, scientists have begun to focus on long-term energy supply. Improvements in power supply systems may extend the lifespan of spacecraft. One potential solution is power transmission\u2014using solar panels to convert sunlight into lasers or microwaves, which can be directed to a damaged satellite for power via a receiver located onboard the satellite.<\/span><\/p>\n

In early 2023, the first space-based power transmission test successfully transmitted a low-power microwave of no more than a few milliwatts from the Space Solar Power Demonstrator satellite to a ground station at the California Institute of Technology. Japanese researchers plan to achieve a similar result in 2025.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\nAn artist’s rendering of a NASA power transmission satellite.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

However, solar panels can be large and bulky, and their complex design and circuitry mean that any orbital solar power stations will require regular replacement or repair. A more sustainable and self-sufficient method is likely the answer, and researchers working on the APACE project believe they have a solution. As part of this project, they are aiming to adapt the molecular structures that enable bacteria to photosynthesize into a laser system suitable for use in space.<\/span><\/p>\n

“Our key idea is to replace concentrating optics with photosynthetic antenna systems,” Gauger said.<\/span><\/p>\n

The APACE project involves researchers from the UK, Germany, Italy, and Poland. Funding for the project is provided by the European Innovation Council and Innovate UK. The funding amount is \u20ac476,000 for the first phase. Gauger, the APACE project manager, explained what this first phase entails: “We are currently trying to prove the principle on Earth in our laboratories, and by the end of the project, we will conduct tests in conditions simulating space.”<\/span><\/p>\n

As part of this work, the team will extract molecular antennas and conduct experiments with them to determine which bacterial species produce the most suitable antennas for solar-powered spacecraft. The researchers will also study artificial antenna structures created using nanotechnology to compare their efficiency and practicality with their organic counterparts.<\/span><\/p>\n

For example, some extremophile bacteria are able to thrive in very low light conditions by having molecular antennas that can absorb virtually every photon that hits them and direct the energy where it is needed in the bacteria’s cellular biology.<\/span><\/p>\n

The APACE project aims to adapt these bacteria, extract their antennae, and use them to absorb sunlight. The solar energy will then be channeled into a laser mechanism. Lasers operate using a “gain medium” inside the laser cavity. When photons interact with the gain medium, they generate more photons (called stimulated emission), amplifying them until their number reaches a sufficient level to form an intense and coherent beam. The team is exploring the possibility of using neodymium nanocrystals as a gain medium, with sunlight collected by the bacteria’s photosynthetic antennae providing photons to trigger the laser and maintain its activity.<\/span><\/p>\n

Bacteria could be grown in space, such as on the International Space Station or a satellite, eliminating the need for constant launches from Earth to service and replace old solar panels.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, as Gauger said, the actual launch of a prototype into space will require much more funding and will depend on the success of the first phase.<\/span><\/p>\n

At this stage, the advantage of a successful prototype isn’t necessarily efficiency, although this may become apparent later. A typical silicon solar panel converts sunlight into electricity with an efficiency of about 30%, generating several hundred watts per square meter. While the bacteria from which the photosynthetic antennas are adapted have an efficiency approaching 100%, the organic solar cells being developed as part of the APACE project will only be able to convert 10-15% of sunlight into electricity.<\/span><\/p>\n

While this is far inferior to what nature provides, “perhaps it’s not surprising, given that evolution has been optimizing it for a long time,” Gauger said. “We don’t quite know why photosynthesis is so efficient, and we’re not as good at transferring energy at the molecular level through artificial structures, and our materials don’t have such high absorption capacity.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Despite its limitations, APACE will still make significant progress. “It’s a completely different architecture,” said Gauger. In a typical silicon solar cell, energy is collected, but then something needs to be done with it, using electronic components to turn it into something useful. “In our case, we’re trying to do this without any electronics\u2014no battery, no circuitry.” The biological photosynthetic apparatus will automatically convert sunlight into laser light, without requiring all that hardware.<\/span><\/p>\n

And it’s worth noting that the potential of this technology is limitless. If successful, being simpler and more self-sufficient, and not requiring frequent space launches with heavy payloads, it could reduce the cost of energy transmission. And it’s not just about powering satellites in low-Earth orbit; in the future, it could be used to transmit power to bases or ships on the Moon or Mars.<\/span><\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Astronauts arriving and returning from space stations carry trillions of microscopic organisms with them. For example, new species of space-adapted bacteria have been discovered on China’s Tiangong space station. Recently, 26 previously unknown species of bacteria were discovered in NASA’s cleanrooms\u2014some of the most sterile environments ever created by humanity. Another study shows that, under stress, strains isolated from the ISS mutated and became genetically and functionally distinct from their terrestrial counterparts.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1988,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[19,545,546,537,40],"tags":[404,619,314,921,919,920],"class_list":{"0":"post-1987","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-news","8":"category-deepspace","9":"category-earthsorbit","10":"category-microorganisms","11":"category-kosmos","12":"tag-bacteria","13":"tag-energy","14":"tag-iss","15":"tag-long-flight","16":"tag-microbes","17":"tag-tiangong"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1987","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1987"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1987\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1989,"href":"https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1987\/revisions\/1989"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1988"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1987"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1987"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1987"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}