Microbial investigations: Overview

Abstract

How microorganisms function in the microgravity environment associated with spaceflight had been an open question for 50 years. A variety of unique microbial responses have been observed in experiments throughout the spaceflight program; however, the impact of these responses on medical operations was never thoroughly investigated. Answers were slow coming for several reasons, including a low priority for microbial studies because of the perception that microbes have relatively small impact on short duration spaceflights on the Space Shuttle. However, as the goals of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) have shifted to much longer exploration missions, the potential impact of microbes to human health and ultimately long term habitation in space became evident. Longer stays in space resulted in the realization of emerging microbial-based problems associated with human occupation of the relatively small, closed environments of spacecraft/habitats. Studies of microorganisms in spaceflight analogues and true spaceflight began as simple investigations to understand the basic phenotypic characteristics of microorganisms when cultured in the spaceflight environment. However, the combination of intriguing discoveries and advances in technology has rapidly stimulated this field of research, especially those studies investigating novel molecular genetic and phenotypic responses relevant to how microbes maintain the balance between homeostasis and disease causing potential. The application of this research is extensive, including Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria (including gastrointestinal, respiratory tract, and skin pathogens) and eukaryotic yeast. Taken together, the study of microorganisms in the spaceflight environment should continue to provide unique, exciting findings that are important to both our space exploration efforts and scientific advances for the general public on Earth.