BRIC-25 Microbiology Specimens Returned From ISS
An ISS crew member prepares to initiate the experiment by adding growth media to the BRIC-25 canister. — NASA
The Biological Research in Canisters-25 (BRIC-25) Staphylococcus aureus bacterial samples were returned from the ISS on SpaceX-30.
The BRIC-25 experiment was conducted on the ISS in February 2024 to compare spaceflight effects on the S. aureus wildtype strain to the Accessory Gene Regulator (Agr) mutant strain.
The study was designed to test whether the S. aureus Agr quorum-sensing system regulates biofilm formation, physiology, and virulence factor expression when it is exposed to microgravity or other variables related to the spaceflight environment.
The results could refine predictions about the risk that the S. aureus pathogen poses to astronauts during flight and help protect their health on future missions.
Astrobiology, space biology,
