To survive on Mars and other deep space missions, astronauts must grow their own food – and three new bacterial strains will help “fuel” this process, according to a new release from the International Space Station published in the journal Boundaries of Microbiology.
The researchers behind this discovery worked with NASA to find four species of bacteria – three never seen before.
Microbes ‘essential’ to help plants grow on space missions
The rod-shaped novel bacteria were called IIF1SW-B5, IIF4SW-B5, and IF7SW-B2T – all of which were shown, following a genetic study, to be closely related to Methylobacterium indicum, according to which Phys.org report. The finds were made aboard the International Space Station during two consecutive flights.
The Methylobacterium species are involved in phosphate solubilization, nitrogen fixation, maturation stress tolerance, biocontrol activity against plant pathogens, and plant growth stimulation.
The research team suggested calling the novel species Methylobaterium ajmalii, in honor of the famous biodiversity scientist Ajmal Khan – from India. Crucially, the new rays could “provide biotechnologically useful genetic determinants” for space production in space, said Nitin Kumar Singh and Kasthuri Venkateswaran (Venkat) of NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), in a joint statement to Phys.org.
However, this discovery desperately needs further experimentation to prove its great potential to advance the science of space farming. “To grow plants in real places where there are few resources, isolation of new microbes is needed that will help stimulate plant growth under stressful conditions,” Singh and Venkat said in the report.
Eight locations studied on ISS for bacterial growth
Beyond the JPL, researchers involved included some from Cornell University, the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, and the University of Hyderabad (in India).
NASA hopes to make the cosmic leap to Mars, and possibly beyond. That is why the Decadal Study of the U.S. National Observatory Council recommends that the space agency should use the ISS as a “test bed for the study of microorganisms,” Singh and Venkat said, according to the report.
“Since our organization owns it[es] experience in cultivating microorganisms from real gaps, we were asked by NASA ‘s Space Biology Program to study the ISS for the presence and survival of microorganisms, “Singh and Venkat added.” Needless to say, the ISS is an extremely clean environment. . “
“Crew safety is the number 1 priority so understanding human / plant pathogens is important, but beneficial microbes like this novel Mehylobacterium ajmalii are needed,” Singh and Venkat said.
As of this writing, eight locations on the ISS are under study for bacterial growth – and have been for the past six years. These include places where the team usually conducts experiments (such as the plant growth room), or gathers in larger groups. To date, hundreds of bacterial samples from the ISS have been studied – with approximately 1,000 samples collected from various other locations around the station (but awaiting a return trip to Earth).
NASA’s biosensor advances could boost SpaceX and Blue Origin’s partnership missions
Singh and Venkat said the ultimate goal is to avoid this long and complicated process – and to discover new strains of the bacteria through molecular biology equipment engineered and tested for specific use on the ISS.
“Instead of returning samples to Earth for analysis, we need an integrated microbial monitoring system that collects[s], process[es], and analysis[s] space samples using molecular technologies, “Singh and Venkat said in the report.
“This small‘ omics in space ’technology – a biosensor development – will help NASA and other space countries to achieve long-term safe and sustainable space exploration,” Singh and Venkat said. And with NASA’s partnerships with private aerospace companies such as SpaceX and Blue Origin only just beginning, new biosensor technology – and with expansion, the potential to increase food growth potential in deep space – could be implementing space missions to places like Mars before NASA’s Artemis is ready to take humans to the Red Planet.