Pexels
When astronauts go to space, there’s no doctors to care for them if they get sick.
That’s why astronauts are given significant first aid training, with an astronaut sustaining an injury able to receive sutures, for example, from one of their colleagues in space.
It’s also the reason for the extreme cleanliness that is enforced on space stations, with astronauts expected to adhere to strict cleaning and hygiene protocols, to avoid any risk of contamination or infection while they’re situated 250 miles above ground.
If the worst should come to the worst, a rescue mission is launched; but this to be avoided, since it’s a very costly process.
Pexels
It’s surprising then, given the extreme hygiene observed on space stations, that a new strain of bacteria has been identified on board China’s Tiangong Space Station.
And what is even more surprising is that this bacterial strain has only ever been discovered onboard Tiangong.
In an article recently published in the International Journal of Systematic Evolutionary Microbiology, scientists explain their discovery:
“In this study, a Gram-positive, aerobic, spore-forming, rod-shaped strain JL1B1071T was isolated from the surface of hardware on the China Space Station. This strain belongs to the genus Niallia, with its closest relative being Niallia circulans ATCC 4513T.”
Freshly named Niallia Tiangongensis, this bacteria is not dissimilar to an earthly bacteria known as Nialla circulans, a human pathogen which can survive without oxygen and is found in sewage and human waste, food and soil.
Pexels
How did the pathogen get there?
Well this is still up for debate, with scientists suggesting that it could have adapted from Niallia circulans that naturally occur onboard Tiangong as a result of the human activities of the taikonauts (Chinese astronauts) on board the space station.
This is not uncommon practice for pathogens, which regularly mutate as a result of their evolutionary processes. In the conditions on board a space station – very different to the conditions on Earth – the pathogen could have adapted to better suit its new environment.
While on the surface the discovery of Niallia Tiangonensis could seem concerning, it is actually fascinating for our understanding of bacteria and its evolutions in space. This is vital information for future missions, and our understanding of our pathogens on Earth – though of course, as the authors state in their study, the prominent concern is the health of astronauts and taikonauts:
“Understanding the characteristics of microbes during long-term space missions is essential for safeguarding the health of astronauts and maintaining the functionality of spacecraft.”
As more people – and their respective pathogens – travel to space, it is likely that this is only the beginning.
If you thought that was interesting, you might like to read a story that reveals Earth’s priciest precious metal isn’t gold or platinum and costs over $10,000 an ounce!