This study investigated the interplay between the microbial community of the International Space Station and its crew. Environmental samples were collected from 8 habitable locations around the ISS. The microbial composition was measured using shotgun metagenomic sequencing and procesed using the Livermore Metagenomics Analysis Toolkit.

Presented here is the environmental microbiome study of the International Space Station surfaces. The environmental samples were collected with the polyester wipes from eight different locations in the ISS during two consecutive sampling sessions (three months apart). The specific objective was to unveil the pool of genes for each location during two separate sessions to learn of functional and metabolic diversity of microorganisms in the ISS. The International Space Station (ISS) as a closed built environment has its own environmental microbiome which is shaped by microgravity, radiation, and limited human presence. The microbial diversity associated with ISS environmental surfaces was investigated during this study. Polyester wipes and contact slides were used for sampling of eight various surface locations on the ISS at different time periods. The samples were retrieved and analyzed immediately upon the return to the Earth (via Soyuz TMA-14M or Dragon capsule from SpaceX). After surface sample collection, contact slides containing nutrient media for the growth of bacteria and fungi were incubated at 25C. The polyester wipes were processed to measure microbial burden (R2A, Blood Agar, and Potato Dextrose Agar) and recover cultivable bacteria as well as fungi. Subsequently, viable microbial burden was assessed using Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) assay, and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods after propidium monoazide (PMA) treatment. The 16S-tag and metagenome analyses were used to elucidate viable microbial diversity. The cultivable bacterial population yield from the polyester wipes was very high (5 to 7-logs) when compared with the contact slides (10^2 to 10^3 CFU/m2). The PMA-qPCR analysis showed considerable variation of viable bacterial population (10^5 to 10^9 16S rDNA gene copies/m2) among locations sampled. Unlike contact slides, polyester wipes cover much larger sample surface (~1 m2) and produce much more reliable results of the microbial diversity of the ISS covering both cultivable and non-cultivable species. The cultivable, total, and viable microbial diversity was determined utilizing state-of-the art molecular techniques. The implementation of the PMA assay before DNA extraction allowed distinguishing viable microorganisms, which is crucial for determining their role to the crew health, the ISS maintenance and the general knowledge of the closed environmentally controlled built systems.

The environmental microbiome study was designed to decipher microbial diversity of the International Space Station surfaces in terms of spatial and temporal distributions using 16S and ITS iTag Illumina sequencing. We hypothesized that the microbial population of environmental surfaces changes in time due to astronauts xe2 x80 x99 activity and might be location specific. The environmental samples were collected with the polyester wipes from eight different locations in the ISS during two consecutive sampling sessions (three months apart). The specific objective was to unveil the viable microbial diversity of each location during two separate sessions in terms of abundance and richness of the communities. The International Space Station (ISS) as a closed built environment has its own environmental microbiome which is shaped by microgravity radiation and limited human presence. The microbial diversity associated with ISS environmental surfaces was investigated during this study. Polyester wipes and contact slides were used for sampling of eight various surface locations on the ISS at different time periods. The samples were retrieved and analyzed immediately upon the return to the Earth (via Soyuz TMA-14M or Dragon capsule from SpaceX). After surface sample collection contact slides containing nutrient media for the growth of bacteria and fungi were incubated at 25 xcb x9aC. The polyester wipes were processed to measure microbial burden (R2A Blood Agar and Potato Dextrose Agar) and recover cultivable bacteria as well as fungi. Subsequently viable microbial burden was assessed using Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) assay and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods after propidium monoazide (PMA) treatment. The 16S-tag and metagenome analyses were used to elucidate viable microbial diversity. The cultivable bacterial population yield from the polyester wipes was very high (5 to 7-logs) when compared with the contact slides (102 to 103 CFU/m2). The PMA-qPCR analysis showed considerable variation of viable bacterial population (105 to 109 16S rDNA gene copies/m2) among locations sampled. Unlike contact slides polyester wipes cover much larger sample surface (~1 m2) and produce much more reliable results of the microbial diversity of the ISS covering both cultivable and non-cultivable species. The cultivable total and viable microbial diversity was determined utilizing state-of-the art molecular techniques. The implementation of the PMA assay before DNA extraction allowed distinguishing viable microorganisms which is crucial for determining their role to the crew health the ISS maintenance and the general knowledge of the closed environmentally controlled built systems.

This study investigated the interplay between the microbial community of the International Space Station and its crew. Environmental samples were collected from 8 habitable locations around the ISS. The microbial composition was measured using shotgun metagenomic sequencing and procesed using the Livermore Metagenomics Analysis Toolkit.

The microbial tracking-1 (MT-1) investigation allowed the characterization of the microbial population aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

The International Space Station (ISS) is a unique habitat for humans and microorganisms. Here, we report the results of the ISS experiment EXTREMOPHILES, including the analysis of microbial communities from several areas aboard at three time points. We assess microbial diversity, distribution, functional capacity and resistance profile using a combination of cultivation-independent analyses (amplicon and shot-gun sequencing) and cultivation-dependent analyses (physiological and genetic characterization of microbial isolates, antibiotic resistance tests, co-incubation experiments). We show that the ISS microbial communities are highly similar to those present in ground-based confined indoor environments and are subject to fluctuations, although a core microbiome persists over time and locations. The genomic and physiological features selected by ISS conditions do not appear to be directly relevant to human health, although adaptations towards biofilm formation and surface interactions were observed. Our results do not raise direct reason for concern with respect to crew health, but indicate a potential threat towards material integrity in moist areas.

Background Detecting microbial life in extraterrestrial locations is a goal of space exploration because of ecological and health concerns about possible contamination of other planets with earthly organisms, and vice versa. Previously we suggested a method for life detection based on the fact that living entities require a continual input of energy accessed through coupled oxidations and reductions (an electron transport chain). We demonstrated using earthly soils that the identification of extracted components of electron transport chains is useful for remote detection of a chemical signature of life. The instrument package developed used supercritical carbon dioxide for soil extraction, followed by chromatography or electrophoresis to separate extracted compounds, with final detection by voltammetry and tandem mass-spectrometry. Results Here we used Earth-derived soils to develop a related life detection system based on direct observation of a biological redox signature. We measured the ability of soil microbial communities to reduce artificial electron acceptors. Living organisms in pure culture and those naturally found in soil were shown to reduce 2,3-dichlorophenol indophenol (DCIP) and the tetrazolium dye 2,3-bis(2-methoxy-4-nitro-5-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium-5-carboxanilide inner salt (XTT). Uninoculated or sterilized controls did not reduce the dyes. A soil from Antarctica that was determined by chemical signature and DNA analysis to be sterile also did not reduce the dyes. Conclusion Observation of dye reduction, supplemented with extraction and identification of only a few specific signature redox-active biochemicals such as porphyrins or quinones, provides a simplified means to detect a signature of life in the soils of other planets or their moons.

This study s goal was to examine if any salivary microbiome changes were observed in astronauts as a result of spaceflight. In addition this study looked for any microbiome signature that may be associated with viral reactivation in humans

As part of an ongoing effort to catalogue microbial communities inhabiting the International Space Station (ISS) crew-associated environmental samples were collected from the Japanese Kibo Russian and US research modules. Initial analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing identified 11 Bacillus isolates (two from Kibo Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) four from US Segment Harmony Node 2 and five from Russian Segment Zvezda module sites) all belonging to the Bacillus anthracis-B. cereus-B. thuringiensis group. Isolates were further characterized by whole genome comparative analysis. Each isolate was sequenced assembled and aligned against all members of the B. cereus sensu lato group. Based on genome size estimates (5.2 - 5.3 Mbp) strain nucleotide identity (>99.99%) and maximum likelihood phylogenetic placement all isolates were found to exhibit a very high level of similarity. With respect to gene content all isolates were inspected for cry proteins common to B. thuringiensis as well as toxins specific to B. cereus. No significant hits were found to any known cry genes while full-length matches were found for multiple B. cereus toxin genes. Finally the isolates were closely screened against B. anthracis genomes and no B. anthracis signatures were identified. Notably all isolates contained the plcR ancestral C allele and lacked significant hits to pXO1 and pXO2 plasmids and toxins. The collective results from the analysis confirm that these strains belong to a previously uncharacterized Bacillus species hereafter referred to as Bacillus issensis. The type strain is ISSFR-003T (=NRRL B-65389T= DSMZ 101676T).

As part of an ongoing effort to catalogue microbial communities inhabiting the International Space Station (ISS) crew-associated environmental samples were collected from the Japanese Kibo Russian and US research modules. Initial analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing identified 11 Bacillus isolates (two from Kibo Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) four from US Segment Harmony Node 2 and five from Russian Segment Zvezda module sites) all belonging to the Bacillus anthracis-B. cereus-B. thuringiensis group. Isolates were further characterized by whole genome comparative analysis. Each isolate was sequenced assembled and aligned against all members of the B. cereus sensu lato group. Based on genome size estimates (5.2 - 5.3 Mbp) strain nucleotide identity (>99.99%) and maximum likelihood phylogenetic placement all isolates were found to exhibit a very high level of similarity. With respect to gene content all isolates were inspected for cry proteins common to B. thuringiensis as well as toxins specific to B. cereus. No significant hits were found to any known cry genes while full-length matches were found for multiple B. cereus toxin genes. Finally the isolates were closely screened against B. anthracis genomes and no B. anthracis signatures were identified. Notably all isolates contained the plcR ancestral C allele and lacked significant hits to pXO1 and pXO2 plasmids and toxins. The collective results from the analysis confirm that these strains belong to a previously uncharacterized Bacillus species hereafter referred to as Bacillus issensis. The type strain is ISSFR-003T (=NRRL B-65389T= DSMZ 101676T).