NASA scientists found drug-resistant bacteria aboard the International Space Station (ISS), and they have no idea how it affects human beings.
The bacterial strains are all genetic mutations of bacteria found here on Earth. Researchers say the bacteria became functionally and genetically different due to the isolated conditions aboard the ISS.
That’s not all though, the bacteria were reportedly thriving in space—conclusively showing that bacteria and microorganisms can exist anywhere.
If microorganisms and bacteria are living on board the space station, what’s to stop them from inhabiting asteroids in deep space?
Moreover, what’s to stop any of those deep space asteroids from coming here and impacting our planet? Ponder all this as you find out more about the story:
Multi-drug resistant #bacteria found on International Space Station mutate to become functionally distinct.#ISS #antibiotic #resistance #Enterobacter #genomics #metabolomics
— Cell Bio News (@CellBioNews) April 17, 2024
NASA shared the findings of the scientific investigation into the space station bacteria:
Thirteen strains of E. bugandensis, a bacterium notorious for being multi-drug resistant, were isolated from the ISS.
Study findings indicate under stress, the ISS isolated strains were mutated and became genetically and functionally distinct compared to their Earth counterparts.
The strains were able to viably persist in the ISS over time with a significant abundance.
E. bugandensis coexisted with multiple other microorganisms, and in some cases could have helped those organisms survive.
Here are some of the reactions from the online community to the discovery of the drug-resistant space bacteria found on the space station.
Isn't that just great – there are unknown drug-resistant bacteria that are growing in the ISS !!! With Astronauts coming and going (plus cargo coming and going) to the ISS and returning to earth, just what protection to us on earth is NASA doing about this ???
— John R Day (@JohnRDay3) April 20, 2024
Mutated Strains of #Unknown Drug-Resistant #Bacteria Found Lurking on #ISS that should be left the fuck up there.. "how it will effect humans on earth" it won't if you don't bring it back here 🤬 #nasa 🤦🏾♂️ https://t.co/PeqYfBZluY via @gizmodo
— Irrelevant (@c4h2o0) April 19, 2024
Mutated strains of an unknown drug-resistant bacteria somehow got onto the International Space Station
It’s not clear how the space bacteria may affect the health of astronauts on the ISS — or humans back on Earth 🦹♂️https://t.co/UNhkC7e7gS— Spirit Fairbairn (@CapeCodGiftShop) April 21, 2024
According to Gizmodo:
It’s not clear how the space bacteria may affect the health of astronauts on the space station, but the authors of the paper call for preventive measures to help mitigate the effects of the mutated species.
It’s also unclear whether these mutated, drug-resistant microbes pose a risk to humans on Earth.
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