posted 11-24-2018 11:51 AM               

Dr. Nitin Singh, the lead author on the report, said: "Given the multi-drug resistance results for these [bacteria] and the increased chance of pathogenicity we have identified, these species potentially pose important health considerations for future missions."

But, researchers stressed the bugs are not harmful to humans currently aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

Singh added: "It is important to understand that the strains found on the ISS were not virulent, which means they are not an active threat to human health, but something to be monitored."

posted 11-24-2018 08:58 PM               

These microbes could pose a risk for future space missions.

Microbes that are drug resistant can still be killed off using other processes, including sterilization techniques. Perhaps the ISS bathroom needs a UV light.

I believe that these results are predicted outcomes and just another step forward in long duration space habitation, and nothing to become alarmed over. Modern hospitals breed far worse microbes.

posted 03-16-2021 10:30 PM               

Three of the four strains were isolated back in 2015 and 2016 – one was found on an overhead panel of the ISS research stations, the second was found in the Cupola, the third was found on the surface of the dining table; the fourth was found in an old HEPA filter returned to Earth in 2011.

All four of the strains belong to a family of bacteria found in soil and freshwater; they are involved in nitrogen fixation, plant growth, and can help stop plant pathogens. Basically, good bacteria to have around if you're growing things.

You might wonder what such soil bacteria were doing all the way up on the ISS, but the astronauts living on the space station have been growing small amounts of food for years, so it's unsurprising that we've found plant-related microbes aboard.