Chinese scientists have identified a new strain of microorganism for the first time, discovered on an orbiting space station “Tiangong”. The discovery resulted from the analysis of microbial samples, collected during the Shenzhou-15 mission, which returned to Earth in June 2023 year.
The new species was named Niallia tiangongensis and belongs to the genus Niallia, family Cytobacillaceae. As stated in the scientific article, published in March in the International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology, it is aerobic, spore-forming, a rod-shaped bacterium.
This microorganism is genetically related to bacteria, that are found in soil and organic waste on Earth and can potentially cause infections in immunocompromised people. Establishing the novelty of the strain was confirmed by morphological analysis, genome sequencing, phylogenetic studies and metabolic profiling.
Researchers pay special attention to the adaptive properties of Niallia tiangongensis to the space environment. In particular, the bacterium shows increased resistance to oxidative stress and a unique ability to form biofilms, which helps repair damage, caused by radiation. These properties are caused by structural and functional changes in proteins, which ensure the survival of the microorganism in orbital conditions.
The discovery was made by specialists from the Shenzhou Space Biotechnology Group and the Beijing Institute of Spacecraft System Design. They emphasize, that understanding the behavior of microorganisms in space is critical to protecting the health of astronauts and the long-term functioning of orbital infrastructure.
Chinese astronauts regularly monitor the microbial environment on the station, sampling from the air, surfaces and water systems.
This is not the first case of discovery of new microorganisms in space. Earlier, on the ISS and even in the sterile laboratories of NASA? new species of bacteria were discovered, including those, that could potentially help grow plants on Mars.
Research on “Tiangong” also include studying the effects of fungi on station materials. In particular, is being investigated, as Aspergillus niger (black mold) affects polyurethane coated boards, copper and heat shrink tubing — to better understand corrosion mechanisms in space conditions.