Researchers study microbial interactions in International Space Station

Subject : Science and Technology

Context-

Researchers at Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) and NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) have studied the interactions between microbes in the International Space Station (ISS).
The present study was motivated by the earlier observations of the dominance of Klebsiella pneumoniae on the surfaces of the ISS.
- Klebsiella pneumoniae is a gram-negative, encapsulated, non-motile bacterium found in the environment and has been associated with pneumonia in patient populations with alcohol use disorder or diabetes mellitus.
- The bacterium typically colonizes human mucosal surfaces of the oropharynx and gastrointestinal (GI) tract.
- Once the bacterium enters the body, it can display high degrees of virulence and antibiotic resistance.
- This pathogen has been known to cause pneumonia and other nosocomial infections.
Nosocomial infections-
- Also referred to as healthcare-associated infections (HAI), are infections acquired during the process of receiving health care that was not present during the time of admission.
- They may occur in different areas of healthcare delivery, such as in hospitals, long-term care facilities, and ambulatory settings, and may also appear after discharge.
- HAIs also include occupational infections that may affect

Aim of the study-

The study will help devise strategies for the disinfection of space stations to minimise any potential impact of microbes on the health of astronauts.
The researchers were trying to understand how this bacteria affects the growth of other microbes in the vicinity and the possible implications it could have.

Research findings-

The study found that Klebsiella pneumoniae is beneficial to various other microbes also present on the ISS, especially the bacteria from the Pantoea genus.
However, its presence was hampering the growth of Aspergillus fungus.
This bacterial family includes members like E coli, Salmonella, etc, which are also present in the human gut.
The microbial strains found in this study pose no threat to the space station astronauts, and this study provides evidence on why it’s important to monitor the microbiome of the ISS.