Just like on Earth, the International Space Station (ISS) has a strong population of bacteria and fungi, according to a study that cataloged the real situation. The study published in the Microbiome Journal found that samples from air filters and an empty dust bag from the space station were mostly bacterial pathogens that are mostly safe on Earth but can cause infections to inflammation or skin irritations. The researchers found that the human bacteria were associated with the skin of Corynebacterium and Propionibacterium (Actinobacteria) but Staphylococcus is not more abundant on the station than in clean rooms based on Earth.
A ‘complete catalog’ of fungi, bacteria
NASA scientists have noted that bacteria are similar to those found in Earth’s deep environments such as officers, carcasses and hospitals, so the space station is similar to those other “built environments” that humans use. The research was needed to understand the nature of the communities of microbes, the midges, in the space station to regulate the health of astronauts and the maintenance of equipment. To prevent the outbreak of deadly diseases, however, astronauts reduce the chance during quarantine times before their mission.
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Kasthuri Venkateswaran, senior research scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and co-author of the paper, said, “Specific microbes in inland spaces on Earth have been shown to affect human health. This is even more important for astronauts during spaceflight, as they have changed immunity and do not have access to the most accessible medical interventions available on Earth ”.
“Despite possible long-term missions in the future, it is important that the types of microorganisms that can accumulate in the specific closed environments associated with identify the light of space, their longevity and their impact on human health and spacecraft infrastructure, ”said Venkateswaran.
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In addition, the research stated that the study is the first “complete catalog” of the fungi and bacteria found on the surface of a confined space system, such as the ISS. The research also said that this could lead to the development of safety measures for astronauts during spaceflight, although it is not currently clear what more to spacecraft. It is worth noting that the astronomers collected the samples during three flights over 14 months, a period that allowed the researchers to see how the microbial and fungal populations changed over places and during of time.
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