Effects Of Simulated Space Environmental Conditions On Cleanroom Microbes

Microorganisms can have major impacts on the success of NASA’s missions, including the integrity of materials, the protection of extraterrestrial environments, the reliability of scientific results, and maintenance of crew health.

Robust cleaning and sterilization protocols for spacecraft and associated environments are currently in place in NASA facilities, but microbial contamination should be further controlled and its impact on NASA’s missions and science must be minimized. To address this, air and surfaces across cleanrooms and uncontrolled spaces at the Marshall Space Flight Center were sampled and microbial burden and diversity were analyzed.

The analysis revealed genomic features among these four species, encompassing genes critical for amino acid biosynthesis, carbohydrate metabolism, and stress response mechanisms. Erwinia sp. PPS120 had genomic features indicative of metabolic flexibility and stress response capabilities, particularly under oxidative stress conditions.

Notably, strain A. koreensis PPS68 had unique genomic features predictive of resilience to desiccation and ionizing radiation, supported by genes for oxidative stress resistance, membrane stability, and nutrient acquisition. A. koreensis contains several genes which are also reported in established radioresistant strains, for predicted functions related to DNA-repair, osmoprotection, and efflux.

Effects of simulated space environmental conditions on cleanroom microbes, Frontiers via PubMed

Astrobiology