According to a study published on Monday, scientists have discovered three new bacterial strains on the International Space Station.
‘Four tribes belonging to the family of Methylobacteriaceae was isolated from different locations on the International Space Station (ISS) over two consecutive flights, ” the study was published in the journal Frontiers in Microbiology.
Kasthuri Venkateswaran and Nitin Kumar Singh, two of the authors of the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory newspaper, said in a Press release that the bacteria formed on plants growing astronauts in space.
“To grow plants in extreme places where resources are minimal, isolation of new microbes is essential to promote plant growth under stressful conditions,” the two said.
The discovery of these new bacteria in the plants could lead to breakthroughs in plant growth and space farming.
‘It will further help identify genetic determinants that may be responsible for promoting vegetation under microgravity conditions and will contribute to the development of self-sustaining crops for long-term spatial missions in the future, ‘says the study.
Three of the bacterial strains were found on surfaces of the ISS in 2015 and 2016 and the fourth was collected in 2011.
‘Needless to say, the ISS is an extreme environment that is maintained clean. “Safety of crew is the most important priority and therefore the understanding of pathogens of humans / plants is important, but beneficial microbes such as this new Methylobacterium ajmalii are also needed,” the scientists said.