New Type Of Bacteria Identified On China’s Space Station

Swabs collected from China’s Tiangong space station have uncovered traces of a previously unknown bacterium, exhibiting traits that could enable it to survive in harsh conditions hundreds of kilometers above Earth’s surface.

New Bacterium on Tiangong Space Station May Help Protect Astronauts and Spacecraft

Researchers from the Shenzhou Space Biotechnology Group and the Beijing Institute of Spacecraft System Engineering, who named the discovery Niallia tiangongensis, suggest that studying this bacterium and similar species could be crucial for safeguarding astronaut health and ensuring spacecraft performance during extended missions.

In May 2023, the Shenzhou-15 crew collected swabs from a cabin aboard the space station as part of of one of two surveys conducted under the China Space Station Habitation Area Microbiome Programme.

Subsequent studies have tracked the growth of microbes in the space station environment, uncovering a microbiome that differs in both composition and function from the one found on the International Space Station.

The newly discovered species seems closely related to a known strain, Niallia circulans, a rod-shaped bacterium found in soil. This strain was reclassified into a new genus a few years ago, after having been previously considered a pathogenic type of Bacillus.

Similar to Bacillus species, N. circulans and its space-related relatives protect their vital chemistry within tough spores to endure extreme stress. It remains uncertain whether N. tiangongensis evolved on the space station or if it arrived in spore form, already possessing some of its unique characteristics.

“Genetic Analysis Uncovers Unique Gelatin-Digesting Ability for Survival in Harsh Environments”

A recent analysis of its genes and functions reveals that the new species has a distinctive ability to break down gelatin for nitrogen and carbon, a skill that proves useful when it needs to form a protective coat of biofilm to shelter itself during harsh conditions.

However, it appears to have lost the ability to metabolize other energy-rich substances that its relatives readily consume.

This not only shows that Niallia can be a diverse group of microorganisms but also highlights how easily certain types of bacteria can adapt to life in our orbiting habitats.

Additionally, there’s not much that can be done to prevent it. An inspection of the ‘clean rooms’ NASA used to prepare for the Mars Phoenix mission uncovered dozens of microbial strains from 26 previously unknown species.

Study Reveals Bacteria’s Survival Skills in Sterile Environments via DNA Repair and Toxicity Resistance

A recent study of these newly discovered bacteria revealed that they actively survive in environments typically considered sterile, due to genes that enable DNA repair and provide resistance to substances toxic to other microbes.

Understanding these microorganisms is clearly a crucial step in managing them. If we can’t prevent their presence or their ability to adapt, it’s essential that we can predict how microbes will adjust to life in space.

While it’s still unclear whether Niallia tiangongensis poses any threat to the health of Tiangong’s astronauts, its relative’s ability to cause sepsis in immunocompromised patients and its newfound ability to break down gelatin highlight the potential health risks posed by this and other spaceborne microbes.

As missions to the Moon and beyond become a reality, scientists are increasingly studying how the tiny organisms sharing our space adapt to life far from Earth.

Read the original article on: Sciencealert

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