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ASU is dedicated to groundbreaking scientific discovery, with its scientists and students actively engaged in exploring Earth, our solar system and the vast universe through numerous space missions, both ongoing and in development.
Marking a major milestone in space exploration, thespacecraft safely returned a samplefrom asteroid Bennu, which may hold clues about the origin of life. Bennu contains rocks dating back 4 billion years to the solar system's earliest epoch, providing valuable "fossils" for study.
ASU experimental astrophysicist Christopher Groppi, with a NASA grant, is developing thin, lightweight planar filters and optics to enhance large-aperture far-infrared filters for space observatories and ground-based experiments. TheAdvanced Electronics and Photonics Coreis fabricating specialized long-wavelength lenses and filters for this project.
ASU researcher Jiseon Yang has received a $750,000 NASA Artemis grant to study how microbes evolve in water distribution systems in space, particularly on the International Space Station (ISS). Her research, supported by our Advanced Light Microscopy and Genomics Cores Facilities, focuses on understanding microbial interactions and biofilm formation, which can pose significant risks during long-term space missions. This work is crucial for ensuring safe and sustainable water supplies for future missions to the Moon and Mars under the Artemis program.
Researchers studied microbial samples from the ISS water system, focusing on traits like antibiotic resistance and biofilm formation, to understand how microbes behave in mixed-species communities. The findings suggest that microbes may adapt to their environment, highlighting important implications for managing microbial risks in space and Earth habitats.
Method
Researchers obtained microbial strains from NASA, identified them using genetic and biochemical methods and cultured them under specific conditions to study their growth, antibiotic resistance, metabolism and biofilm formation. They used various techniques, including biofilm analysis with confocal laser scanning microscopy, to examine the bacteria's behavior.
Discussion
The study revealed that certain bacteria were dominant in the ISS water system and displayed unstable characteristics, such as biofilm formation, which could pose infection risks. It highlights the importance of understanding microbial interactions in space environments, as these findings could impact future space missions.
Yang, J., Barrila, J., Mark Ott, C. et al. Longitudinal characterization of multispecies microbial populations recovered from spaceflight potable water. npj Biofilms Microbiomes 7, 70 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41522-021-00240-5
