Scientists discovered three new strains of bacteria on the International Space Station, according to a study published Monday.
Four species belonging to the family of Methylobacteriaceae were isolated from different locations on the International Space Station (ISS) during two consecutive flights, ” the study published in the journal Frontiers in Microbiology.
Kasthuri Venkateswaran and Nitin Kumar Singh, two of the authors of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, explained in a press release that the bacteria formed on plants that astronauts grew in space.
“To grow plants in extreme places where resources are minimal, isolation of new microbes that promote plant growth under stressful conditions is essential,” the two said.
The discovery of these new bacteria in the plants could lead to breakthroughs in plant growth and space cultivation.
This will further aid in the identification of genetic determinants that may be responsible for promoting plant growth under microgravity conditions and contribute to the development of self-sustaining plant crops for long-term space missions in the future, ”the study said.
Three of the strains of bacteria were found on ISS surfaces in 2015 and 2016 and the fourth was collected in 2011.
Needless to say, the ISS is a neatly maintained extreme environment. Crew safety is the number 1 priority, which is why understanding human and plant pathogens is important, but beneficial microbes such as these new Methylobacterium ajmalii are also needed, ”the scientists said.