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The human body is unable to live in space for very long, so when astronauts have to stay on the International Space Station (ISS) for months, they can expect changes in their bodies, as is the case with American astronaut Scott Kelly, who has spent a year aboard the ISS for a full year in 2015.
(Photo: Screengrab from the Microbiome)
The space microbe was compared to the control sample left here on Earth.
A year in space, human edition
Scott stayed longer than normal in space the experience caused some changes when he returned to Earth, including a change in his gut microbiome and even a slight change in his DNA compared to his twin, former astronaut Mark Kelly. – all of which are documented in several research papers, according to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) press release.
Additionally, the astronaut had foot pains for three months after returning to Earth.
While humans have changed and adapted to the harsh environment in space, a species of bacteria originally found in a meat box has practically no problem living in space.
What is surprising is that the bacterium, known as Deinococcus radiodurans, lived outside the ISS, where it has no protection against UV rays, weightlessness and the variety of threats in space.
Read more: NASA OSIRIS-Rex mission: Asteroid Bennu appears to have cavities, may be close to its death
A year in space, bacteria edition
According to ScienceAlert, the bacterium is still alive and well even after staying in space for a year on a specially designed platform.
The microbe was first dehydrated on its journey to the ISS, where it is then placed in the space station’s Exposed Facility, an area that is continually exposed to space.
It was then placed behind silicon dioxide glass which blocked UV light at wavelengths below 190 nanometers.
(Photo: Screengrab from Microbiome)
The microbe developed bumps on its surface after a year of exposure to the space environment.
“The results presented in this study may raise awareness of planetary protection issues, for example, the Martian atmosphere absorbing UV radiation below 190-200 nm,” wrote the researchers, from Germany, Austria. and Japan, in their research paper on D. radiodurans which was published in the journal Microbiome.
After its endurance test in space, the bacterium was returned to Earth and rehydrated for comparison with a control specimen that spent the year here on our planet.
Not quite the same
The Low Earth Orbit (LEO) specimen returned quite well despite its lower survival rate, although it did return a little different from when it was sent into space, in particular, it was covered in small bumps known as vesicles on the its surface.
“Intensified blistering after recovery from LEO exposure may serve as a rapid response to stress, which increases cell survival by withdrawing stress products,” the team wrote.
They also believed that the outer membrane vesicles were important for DNA transfer and obtaining their food, among other functions, which helped them survive in space and triggered the activation of resistance mechanisms after being exposed to the environment. space.
This was not the first time scientists have tested the bacterium as a sample had previously been taken into space and had been exposed to the harsh environment up there for three years.
The study aims to get to the bottom of how these tiny creatures survive, which may soon help humanity as we venture deeper into space that requires more extensive space travel.
Related Article: SpaceX Crew Dragon Members Give A Statement Before Historic Launch, Team Arrives in Florida
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Written by: Nhx Tingson
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