Russian scientists have found an increase in the aggressiveness and resistance to antibiotics in microorganisms that have returned to Earth after a long stay in outer space, and some mutated individuals in the future may pose a threat to life both on our planet and beyond.
Such conclusions contain a national report on a number of results of fundamental space research, which will be presented by Russian scientists at a meeting of the International Committee on Space Research in July in the United States.
Aggressive mutant bacteria
Thus, in bacterial strains of the Bacillus subtilis species, after a 31-month stay in space, an increase in resistance to six antimicrobial drugs out of eight studied was observed. Thus, we can conclude that when microorganisms are exposed to a number of unfavorable factors inherent in open space, the most resistant and aggressive strains survive.
The experiment was carried out on the surface of the ISS Russian Segment. Since January 2005, several series of experiments have been carried out. The outer shell of the station housed the equipment of the Biorisk experiment, which contained the samples. Approximately every six months, samples of materials with microorganisms were delivered to Earth for research. 68 species of organisms were used as experimental ones - from bacteria to vertebrates and higher plants (spores of bacteria and mold fungi, plant seeds, resting eggs of lower crustaceans, mosquito larvae, dry caviar of carps-toothed fish, and others).
Infection threat
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Terrestrial microorganisms that mutated during their stay in space on the outer surface of the ISS can pose a threat to life on our planet, which means this threat should be taken into account in the requirements of the "planetary quarantine", Russian scientists believe.
“Since it has been shown that living organisms are able to survive in open space, hypothetically, in the distant future, it is possible that alien substances will be brought from other planets to the Earth, as well as to other planets - from the Earth. In addition, the returned terrestrial microorganisms, which flew into space, visited another planet and were transformed in an unknown way in its atmosphere, may pose a danger,”the report says.
Russian scientists intend to use the results of the research to develop measures to protect the planet from such threats. The results of these studies are not only of significant scientific interest, but also of practical importance for substantiating the planetary quarantine strategy in the implementation of future interplanetary flights.
The principle of "planetary protection" is used in all interplanetary missions. Its purpose is to prevent biological contamination of other planets and the Earth by microorganisms returning from space. The first requirement for special processing of space technology for interplanetary research was introduced in 1958 by the US National Academy of Sciences. In 1959, the Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) took over the functions of providing planetary protection. In 1967, the United States, the USSR and other countries signed an agreement to avoid technogenic panspermia (the introduction of terrestrial life to other planets), as well as adverse changes in the Earth's biosphere due to reverse pollution. In total, five categories of planetary protection have been identified, divided into subcategories. Depending on them, the spacecraftdirected to the study of a specific celestial body, is sterilized to the desired purity.
Crustacean eggs in space
Eggs of crustaceans and caviar of African fishtooth fish were also able to survive for 2.5 years in outer space, according to the national report on the results of fundamental space research in Russia, which will be presented in the United States.
“Studies have been carried out on the survival rate of the resting stages of animal organisms: diapausing eggs of several species of invertebrates belonging to three orders of crustaceans, cryptobiotic larvae of chironomids and eggs of the gum-toothed fish … In each of the orders, reliable results were obtained on the successful experience of the impact of space factors by resting stages of lower crustaceans. At the same time, some species could not survive a long stay in outer space,”the materials say.
According to the report of Russian scientists, embryos of lower crustaceans possess the ability to survive the conditions of outer space, which have a higher content of diaachars, a minimum water content in an egg (the possibility of development upon return to Earth was noted only in dried embryos), deep diapause (maximum stop of physiological metabolism) …
Crustacean eggs and fish eggs were returned to Earth after 31 months in space. The "revitalization" of embryos was carried out on the basis of the laboratories of hydrobiology and experimental entomology of the Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Studies of the content of diasachars were carried out in the laboratory of the National Agrobiological Institute of Japan, the document says.