Data were generated as part of a NASA-funded study (Turek F (PI) et al. Effects of Spaceflight on Gastrointestinal Microbiota in Mice: Mechanisms and Impact on Multi-System. NASA NRA: NRA NNH14ZTT002N). As part of the study we requested and received samples from RR1. We generated 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequence data from DNA extracted from fecal samples and compared these data to similar data generated on shuttle mission STS-135 and from ground-based studies of radiation. We assessed effect of flight conditions and radiation.

Data were generated as part of a NASA-funded study (Turek F (PI) et al. Effects of Spaceflight on Gastrointestinal Microbiota in Mice: Mechanisms and Impact on Multi-System. NASA NRA: NRA NNH14ZTT002N). As part of the study, we requested and received samples from RR1. We generated 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequence data from DNA extracted from fecal samples, and compared these data to similar data generated on shuttle mission STS-135 and from ground-based studies of radiation. We assessed effect of flight conditions and radiation.

While it has been shown that astronauts suffer immune disorders after spaceflight the underlying causes are still poorly understood and there are many variables to consider when investigating the immune system in a complex environment. Additionally there is growing evidence that suggests that not only is the immune system being altered but the pathogens that infect the host are significantly influenced by spaceflight and ground-based spaceflight conditions. In this study we demonstrate that Serratia marcescens (strain Db11) was significantly more lethal to Drosophila melanogaster after growth on the International Space Station than ground-based controls but that the host immune system is not significantly altered amongst known immune genes. High-throughput sequencing of wild-type (w1118) adult hosts infected with either space or ground-reared S. marcescens revealed few changes in gene expression with 11 genes significantly differentially expressed (q-values <0.05) and only one gene related to the immune system. This data supports the main findings of the paper which state that both spaceflight and low-shear modeled microgravity conditions increase the virulence of this pathogen independent of the host immune system. This data which shows that there are no significant immune-related changes to the host when infected with space-grown sample compared to ground-grown sample provides further evidence that there are likely phenotypic changes to the pathogen itself that is causing increased virulence in spaceflight and in low-shear modeled microgravity. RNA was extracted in triplicate from 2 pooled adult (2-3 day old female) Drosophila melanogaster (w1118) per treatment with 4 total treatment groups (no injection control sham injection with PBS ground bacteria-injected and space bacteria-injected) with poly(A)+ RNA libraries. Samples were multiplexed and sequenced 100bp paired-end ready were sequenced on one lane of the Illumina HiSeq-4000.

While it has been shown that astronauts suffer immune disorders after spaceflight, the underlying causes are still poorly understood and there are many variables to consider when investigating the immune system in a complex environment. Additionally, there is growing evidence that suggests that not only is the immune system being altered, but the pathogens that infect the host are significantly influenced by spaceflight and ground-based spaceflight conditions. In this study, we demonstrate that Serratia marcescens (strain Db11) was significantly more lethal to Drosophila melanogaster after growth on the International Space Station than ground-based controls, but that the host immune system is not significantly altered amongst known immune genes. High-throughput sequencing of wild-type (w1118) adult hosts infected with either space or ground-reared S. marcescens revealed few changes in gene expression, with 11 genes significantly differentially expressed (q-values less than 0.05) and only one gene related to the immune system. This data supports the main findings of the paper, which state that both spaceflight and low-shear modeled microgravity conditions increase the virulence of this pathogen, independent of the host immune system. This data, which shows that there are no significant immune-related changes to the host when infected with space-grown sample compared to ground-grown sample, provides further evidence that there are likely phenotypic changes to the pathogen itself that is causing increased virulence in spaceflight and in low-shear modeled microgravity. RNA was extracted in triplicate from 2 pooled adult (2-3 day old female) Drosophila melanogaster (w1118) per treatment, with 4 total treatment groups (no injection control, sham injection with PBS, ground bacteria-injected, and space bacteria-injected) with poly(A)+ RNA libraries. Samples were multiplexed and sequenced 100bp paired-end ready were sequenced on one lane of the Illumina HiSeq-4000.

Bacterial behavior has been observed to change during spaceflight. Higher final cell counts, enhanced biofilm formation, increased virulence, and reduced susceptibility to antibiotics have been reported to occur for cells cultured in space . Most of these phenomena are theorized as being an indirect effect of an altered extracellular environment, where the carbon source uptake is inhibited and excreted acidic byproducts buildup around the cell due to the lack of gravity-driven transport forces. However, to date neither spaceflight results, ground-based studies, physical measurement techniques nor computational approaches have provided sufficient evidence needed to confirm this model. Gene expression data from the Antibiotic Effectiveness in Space (AES-1) experiment, however, have now allowed us to look into the biomolecular processes behind these observations and showed a systematic activation of glucose starvation and acid resistance genes. These results corroborate the reduced mass transport model proposed to govern bacterial responses to spaceflight. Furthermore, the gene expression data suggests that metabolism was stimulated in space, which could play a role in causing the observed increase in bacterial cell concentrations in microgravity. Similarly, the decrease in extracellular pH may also be involved with the reported increase in virulence in space.

The MARS500 project the longest ground-based space simulation ever provided us with a unique opportunity to trace the crew microbiota over 520 days of isolated confinement such as that faced by astronauts in real long-term interplanetary space flights and after returning to regular life for a total of 2 years.

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

Bacterial behavior has been observed to change during spaceflight. Higher final cell counts enhanced biofilm formation increased virulence and reduced susceptibility to antibiotics have been reported to occur for cells cultured in space . Most of these phenomena are theorized as being an indirect effect of an altered extracellular environment where the carbon source uptake is inhibited and excreted acidic byproducts buildup around the cell due to the lack of gravity-driven transport forces. However to date neither spaceflight results ground-based studies physical measurement techniques nor computational approaches have provided sufficient evidence needed to confirm this model. Gene expression data from the Antibiotic Effectiveness in Space (AES-1) experiment however have now allowed us to look into the biomolecular processes behind these observations and showed a systematic activation of glucose starvation and acid resistance genes. These results corroborate the reduced mass transport model proposed to govern bacterial responses to spaceflight. Furthermore the gene expression data suggests that metabolism was stimulated in space which could play a role in causing the observed increase in bacterial cell concentrations in microgravity. Similarly the decrease in extracellular pH may also be involved with the reported increase in virulence in space.

Bacterial behavior has been observed to change during spaceflight. Higher final cell counts enhanced biofilm formation increased virulence and reduced susceptibility to antibiotics have been reported to occur for cells cultured in space . Most of these phenomena are theorized as being an indirect effect of an altered extracellular environment where the carbon source uptake is inhibited and excreted acidic byproducts buildup around the cell due to the lack of gravity-driven transport forces. However to date neither spaceflight results ground-based studies physical measurement techniques nor computational approaches have provided sufficient evidence needed to confirm this model. Gene expression data from the Antibiotic Effectiveness in Space (AES-1) experiment however have now allowed us to look into the biomolecular processes behind these observations and showed a systematic activation of glucose starvation and acid resistance genes. These results corroborate the reduced mass transport model proposed to govern bacterial responses to spaceflight. Furthermore the gene expression data suggests that metabolism was stimulated in space which could play a role in causing the observed increase in bacterial cell concentrations in microgravity. Similarly the decrease in extracellular pH may also be involved with the reported increase in virulence in space.

Spaceflight imposes numerous adaptive challenges for terrestrial life. The reduction in gravity or microgravity represents a novel environment that can disrupt homeostasis of many physiological processes. Additionally it is becoming increasingly clear that an organism s microbiome is critical for host health and examining its resiliency in microgravity represents a new frontier for space biology research. In this study we examine the impact of microgravity on the interactions between the squid Euprymna scolopes and its beneficial symbiont Vibrio fischeri which form a highly specific binary mutualism. First animals inoculated with V. fischeri aboard the space shuttle showed effective colonization of the host light organ the site of the symbiosis during spaceflight. Second RNA-Seq analysis of squid exposed to modeled microgravity conditions exhibited extensive differential gene expression in the presence and absence of the symbiotic partner. Transcriptomic analyses revealed in the absence of the symbiont during modeled microgravity there was an enrichment of genes and pathways associated with the innate immune and oxidative stress response. The results suggest that V. fischeri may help modulate the host stress responses under modeled microgravity. This study provides a window into the adaptive responses that the host animal and its symbiont use during modeled microgravity.