New bacteria found on Tiangong Space Station can possibly help grow plants on Mars
China's Tiangong Space Station is teeming with a new species of bacteria. The discovery can have implications for future space travel since the strain can possibly withstand hard radiation.
China's Tiangong Space Station was unknowingly playing host to a bacterium which is completely new to humans, and no one knew about it until much later. The revelation was made in the International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology.
The new species of bacteria was spotted in June 2023. The microbe has been named Niallia tiangongensis and was found in surface samples from the Tiangong Space Station. They were carried back to Earth by the Shenzhou 15 mission. It is almost identical to Niallia circulans, a species of terrestrial bacteria.
This is the first time a new microbial species has been isolated on China's low Earth orbit space station. The bacteria are aerobic, spore-forming and rod-shaped in nature.
Bacterial strain from Tiangong has genetic variations
Even though it is somewhat similar to the terrestrial species mentioned above, the strain found in strain has significant genetic variations. Scientists believe the discovery will help researchers understand the evolution of microbes outside Earth. It was also found to have the unique capability of decomposing gelatine, a feature which can sustain life in settings ideally not suited for life.
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The paper states that two proteins in Niallia tiangongensis underwent structural and functional modifications. This could enhance the bacterium's biofilm formation capacity, and also help repair itself from radiation damage.
Can bacteria found on Tiangong harm astronauts?
Whether the bacteria can impact astronauts is not known yet. However, it is important to understand how the bacterium mutates and grows to avoid future contaminations, especially since humans are trying to go to the moon and Mars. Previously, bacterial strains have also been found on the International Space Station (ISS). Scientists think these bacteria could be the key to growing food on Mars.
A few weeks back, it was announced that novel organisms were discovered in cleanrooms where work on NASA space missions is carried out. Indian scientists, along with NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory and institutes in Saudi Arabia, discovered 26 species of bacteria that can withstand the harsh environment of space.
Some of the microorganisms among the 26 are known as extremophiles. These extremophiles can spill into space and survive the radiation-filled environment.
