Microbial Interactions in International Space Station

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 3

Researchers at Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) and NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) have studied the interactions between microbes in the International Space Station (ISS). 

• The study will help devise strategies for the disinfection of space stations to minimise any potential impact of microbes on the health of astronauts.
• During spaceflight, crews may have altered immunity and limited access to terrestrial medical facilities. 
• Therefore, studying the microbes inhabiting the space station becomes important to understand the risks associated with short-term and long-term space travel on the health of astronauts. 

About

• The present study was motivated by the earlier observations of the dominance of Klebsiella pneumoniae on the surfaces of the ISS. 
• This pathogen has been known to cause pneumonia and other nosocomial infections.
• It is beneficial to various other microbes also present on the ISS, especially the bacteria from the Pantoea genus. 
• However, it was found that its presence was hampering the growth of Aspergillus fungus.
• This bacterial family includes members like E coli, Salmonella, etc, which are also present in the human gut.
• This bacterial family was found to be the most beneficial among the other microbes present on the ISS.
• The microbial strains found in this study pose no threat to the space station astronauts.
• One of the ways the microbes are introduced in the sealed and closed space station is through crew members.

Importance

• The microbial strains found in this study pose no threat to the space station astronauts, and this study provides evidence on why it’s important to monitor the microbiome of the ISS. 
• Keeping an eye on what microbes are on the ISS and learning how they adapt in microgravity continues to help us protect astronaut health. 
• The interaction between the microbes is also affected by these adverse environmental conditions in space, necessitating such studies. 
• More knowledge on the microbes in space can help devise appropriate safety measures for long-term space travel.
• This will also open the doors of space travel to the common people and to ensure the travel safer into the sky.