Effects of Simulated Atmospheres on the Growth and Persistence of Microbial Space Isolates

With space exploration efforts on the rise, there is a call for research regarding the practical biological aspects of long duration space flight and the impact on the human microbiome. Bacterial colonies called biofilms experience increased virulence and viability under the conditions of microgravity. This study aims to determine whether the microorganisms Rhodotorula and Candida parapsilosis isolated from the International Space Station (ISS), are facultative anaerobes or obligate anaerobes. Previous research has shown that these biofilms not only pose an increased threat to the health of the astronauts, but prove to be resistant to multiple antibiotic stressors. This research serves to further test the adaptive abilities of biofilms under different atmospheres and the antibacterial resistance spectrum which originate from a micro-gravitational atmosphere. After the conclusion of the study, the results will demonstrate how the two species of bacterium will develop outside of the ISS in an effort to understand microbial adaptation under space conditions. The hypothesis is that if the Rhodotorula and Candida parapsilosis isolates are incubated in a microaerophilic chamber, then they will adapt to enable anaerobic respiration, determining whether or not these species of bacteria and fungus are facultative or obligate anaerobes. Rhodotorula and Candida parapsilosis isolates incubated in the oxygen saturated atmosphere will serve as a control for undisrupted biofilm formation. Future studies will include a deeper analysis of the antimicrobial spectrum and the genetic basis of microbial adaptation in space