In space travel, it can often be the tiniest things that ruin a big mission. That’s why attention to detail is key, particularly inside a cleanroom where spacecraft are put together and prepped for their rigorous journey through the cosmos. But even those meticulously regulated rooms can’t keep some microorganisms out. In fact, some bacteria thrive in the stringent environment.
A group of scientists at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, as well as other institutes in India and Saudi Arabia, discovered 26 previously unknown bacterial species in the cleanroom used to assemble the Phoenix spacecraft ahead of its launch in August 2007. The discovery, recently published in the journal Microbiome, highlights the potential risk posed by highly resilient microorganisms that could contaminate space missions or the planets they visit.
For the study, the team of scientists sequenced 215 bacterial strains. Some of these were present before the Phoenix spacecraft arrived at its cleanroom on April 25, 2007, while others formed during the spacecraft’s assembly and testing, and after it had been moved to the launchpad to begin its journey to Mars. Out of the 215 strains, the team identified 53 strains belonging to 26 new species.
“Our study aimed to understand the risk of extremophiles being transferred in space missions and to identify which microorganisms might survive the harsh conditions of space,” Alexandre Rosado, a researcher at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), and lead author of the study, said in a statement. “This effort is pivotal for monitoring the risk of microbial contamination and safeguarding against unintentional colonization of exploring planets.”
NASA cleanrooms are harsh environments for life, with carefully controlled temperature, humidity, and airflow to keep out dust and bacteria. The type of microorganisms that can survive in a cleanroom may also be equipped to make it in space. Many of the newly identified microorganisms that were growing in the NASA cleanroom were especially resilient against decontamination and radiation. The hardy bacteria carried a unique genetic defense system with traits like DNA repair, enhanced metabolism, and the ability to detoxify harmful molecules. These little guys are what Destiny’s Child was singing about with their hit “Survivor.”
Aside from highlighting the potential impact of these bacteria in space, the new discovery could also have applications on Earth. “Space travel provides an opportunity to study microorganisms that possess relevant stress-resistance genes,” Junia Schultz, a postdoctoral fellow at KAUST, and first author of the study, said in a statement. “The genes identified in these newly discovered bacterial species could be engineered for applications in medicine, food preservation, and other industries.”
NASA, it would seem, may also need to go back to the drawing board when it comes to its cleanroom design.
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