26 new bacterial species in NASA cleanrooms to hold clues to
26 new bacterial species in NASA cleanrooms to hold clues to space survival
An international team of scientists from India, Saudi Arabia, and the US has identified 26 novel bacterial species growing inside cleanrooms associated with NASA space missions
NEW DELHI — An international team of scientists from India, Saudi Arabia, and
the US has identified 26 novel bacterial species growing inside cleanrooms
associated with NASA space missions.
The study, published in the journal Microbiome,
highlights the importance of rigorous contamination control to prevent
unintentional microbial transfer during space missions.
Cleanrooms are highly specialised facilities engineered
to maintain exceptionally low levels of dust and microorganisms. Spacecraft are
assembled in cleanrooms.
These unknown and newly described species carry genetic
traits associated with resilience to extreme environments such as those found
in space, and may hold clues to space survival and biotech, said the team.
While the controlled environments have tightly regulated
airflow, temperature, and humidity that inhibit microbial survival, some
microorganisms -- extremophiles -- thrive in such environments.
"Our study aimed to understand the risk of
extremophiles being transferred in space missions and to identify which
microorganisms might survive the harsh conditions of space," said lead
researcher Professor Alexandre Rosado, King Abdullah University of Science and
Technology (KAUST).
"This effort is pivotal for monitoring the risk of
microbial contamination and safeguarding against unintentional colonisation of
exploring planets," Rosado said.
In the study, the scientists did a comprehensive analysis
of the microorganisms growing in the NASA cleanrooms during the Phoenix mission
-- a NASA-led mission that launched a lander to Mars in 2007.
During the Phoenix spacecraft mission, genomes of 215
bacterial isolates were sequenced and based on overall genome-related indices,
53 strains belonging to 26 novel species were recognised.
The team found that many of the new species possessed
genes that made them resilient to decontamination and radiation.
Some of the discovered genes were associated with DNA
repair, the detoxification of harmful molecules, and improved metabolism, all
of which increased the species' survivability.
Moreover, these genes could lead to new biotechnologies
that benefit food preservation and medicine," said Junia Schultz, a
postdoctoral fellow at KAUST.
Schultz noted that the genes identified in these newly
discovered bacterial species can be engineered for applications in medicine,
food preservation, and other industries.
