Microbial Community Analysis on the International Space Station
- Paper number
IAC-06-A1.5.06
- Author
Dr. Natalia Novikova, Institute for Biomedical Problems, Russia
- Coauthor
Mrs. Svetlana Poddubko, Institute for Biomedical Problems, Russia
- Coauthor
Mrs. Elena Deshevaya, Institute for Biomedical Problems, Russia
- Coauthor
Mr. Nikolai Polikarpov, Institute for Biomedical Problems, Russia
- Year
2006
- Abstract
The development of astronautics within recent decades has been marked by significant results. One of the main results in this field was the creation and long-term exploitation of orbital space stations, which are impossible to maintain unless there is a habitat that is optimal considering all of the involved variables. Over the course of the International Space Station {ISS} uninterrupted exploitation, microbiological testing of the air environment and interior and hardware surfaces of the habitable compartments is being conducted on a regular basis. A total amount of about 800 samples have been collected at different sites aboard the ISS over a period of 7 years to characterize air and surface contamination. The total of 70 species of microorganisms were found including 36 bacterial and 34 fungal species {the latter included two yeasts and two yeast-like fungi}. The bacteria was dominated by the permanent residents of the human mucous membranes and integument, i.e. Staphylococcus, Corynebacterium and Micrococcus sp. In addition to the typical representatives of the human automicrobiota, spore-forming bacilli and gram-negative non-fermenting bacteria were also frequently recovered from the samples of the ISS environment. The fungal community was remarkably diverse. Fungi of such genera as Penicillium, Aspergillus and Cladosporium were most widely present in the environment of orbital modules. These are heterotrophic microorganisms, which are capable of active growth on natural and artificial polymeric materials, causing their damage and thus they deserve the most serious attention in terms of a possibility of ecological expansion in a closed habitat of a long operating spacecraft. To maintain the optimal parameters of sanitary-microbiological conditions of habitable modules environment it is necessary to develop new perspective means of antimicrobial protection, including both chemical and physical means and methods. The work is done with support by Rosnauka contract #02.467.11.3005
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
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