Microbiology
- The JSC Microbiology team addresses the risks and benefits of microorganisms in spaceflight, including infectious disease, allergens, environmental contamination, and changes in human microbial ecology.
- The laboratory uses various techniques, such as classical microbiology, advanced molecular methods, and immunohistochemistry, to monitor and investigate microbial infections, allergens, and contamination on spacecraft.
- Microbiologists analyze air, surface, and water samples from the International Space Station (ISS) to ensure that microorganisms do not adversely affect crew health or system performance.
- The team also evaluates spaceflight food samples pre-flight to decrease the risk of infectious disease to the crew, and uses technology such as DNA sequencing and bioreactors to characterize microorganisms in the space environment.
- Research conducted by the JSC Microbiology team has contributed significantly to the field of microbiology, with publications in top journals such as Infection and Immunity, Journal of Infectious Disease, and Nature Reviews Microbiology.
2 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)
Microorganisms and Spaceflight
Spaceflight poses a risk of adverse health effects due to the interactions between microorganisms, their hosts, and their environment. The JSC Microbiology team addresses the benefits and risks related to microorganisms, including infectious disease, allergens, environmental and food contamination, and the impacts of changes in environmental and human microbial ecology aboard spacecraft. The team includes certified medical technologists, environmental microbiologists, mycologists, and biosafety professionals.
The JSC Microbiology laboratory is a critical component of the Human Health and Performance Directorate and is responsible for addressing crew health and environmental issues related to microbial infection, allergens, and contamination. This responsibility is achieved by operational monitoring and investigative research using classical microbiological, advanced molecular, and immunohistochemical techniques. This research has resulted in a significant number of presentations and peer-reviewed publications contributing to the field of Microbiology with articles in journals such as Infection and Immunity, Journal of Infectious Disease and Applied and Environmental Microbiology, Nature Reviews Microbiology, and Proceedings of the National Academies of Science.
Fun Fact: Microorganisms display unexpected responses when grown in the spaceflight environment compared to otherwise identically grown microbes on Earth.
NASA
Keeping Crew-members Safe
As a functional part of the Crew Health Care System and in support of Environmental Control and Life Support Systems engineers, the Microbiology Laboratory team defines requirements, coordinates and analyzes microbial sampling, and analysis of air, surface, and water samples. These environmental samples, including preflight and in-flight samples, re-analyzed to ensure that microorganisms do not adversely affect crew health or system performance.
Microbiologists also serve as team members when anomalous events occur that might affect crew health or life support systems operations. Spaceflight food samples also are evaluated preflight to decrease the risk of infectious disease to the crew.
Technology and Hardware
- ABI DNA sequencer
- Illumina MiSeq desktop sequencer
- Oxford Nanopore Technologies MinION DNA / RNA sequencers
- Agilent Bioanalyzer
- VITEK 2 Microbial Identification
- Space analogue bioreactors
Points of Contact
Sarah Wallace, PhD
Hang Nguyen, PhD
