From the original article appearing in the journal frontiers in Microbiology, Phenotypic Changes Exhibited by E. coli Cultured in Space (https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2017.01598):
By default, bacteria will accompany humans in our exploration of space. The average healthy individual carries trillions of microorganisms in and on their body, outnumbering human cells (Sender et al., 2016). This human microbiome includes opportunistic pathogens, microbes that do not normally cause disease in a healthy person but can provoke an infection when the person's immune system is suppressed, a concern known to occur during spaceflight (Borchers et al., 2002; Mermel, 2013). It is therefore important to understand bacterial behavior in space in preparation for future long-term human space exploration missions. Numerous prior studies performed in space have shown increased bacterial virulence and decreased susceptibility to antibiotics for select in vitro cultures with respect to Earth controls ...
Turns out that E. coli grew better in space, even while bathed in an antibiotic.
The Gizmodo take is a bit alarmist, but the research suggests that poor diffusion of nutrients may be the biggest factor in why the bugs behave differently.
If you want to despoil another world, we have to worry about having more mouths to feed. Not just one mouth, maybe 10 trillion. They are coming along for the ride. Will our lunar and martian colonies fail due to indigestion?
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The ISS is crawling with nasty bacteria
NASA scientists have found that the International Space Station (ISS), home to six astronauts, is infested with disease-inducing bacteria. Many of the organisms breeding on the craft's surfaces are known to form both bacterial and fungal biofilms that promote resistance to antibiotics. The NASA team published their findings in a new study -- the first comprehensive catalog of germs in closed space systems -- in the journal Microbiome [open, DOI: 10.1186/s40168-019-0666-x] [DX]. The biofilms ability to cause microbial-induced corrosion on Earth could also play havoc with the ISS' infrastructure by causing mechanical blockages, claim the researchers.
The microbes come from humans and are similar to the ones in gyms, offices, and hospitals on Earth. They include so-called opportunistic pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus (commonly found on the skin and in the nasal passage) and Enterobacter (associated with the human gastrointestinal tract). Though they can cause diseases back on Earth, it's unclear what, if any, affect they'd have on the ISS' inhabitants.
Also at BGR.
Related: Space Builds Better Bugs?
Microbes Sampled and Sequenced Aboard the ISS
Prolonged Spaceflight Could Weaken Astronauts' Immune Systems
(Score: 3, Funny) by c0lo on Friday September 15 2017, @09:13AM
On the contrary, my friend, on the contrary.
Food poisoning by E.Coli shows an increase velocity of food passage though the digestive system.
The expulsion speed is not high enough for escape velocity though. Which means the matter will be enriching the soil and atmosphere of the celestial bodies; a hasty step forward in Terra-forming one could say, we are going to replicate the shitty planet of origin.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 2) by looorg on Friday September 15 2017, @11:29AM
I think we know how this goes ... it's an ugly planet .. it's a bug planet ... a planet hostile to life ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_EouNtFjlU [youtube.com]
(Score: 2) by PiMuNu on Friday September 15 2017, @06:15PM (1 child)
There seem to be a few studies out that indicate "human biology needs gravity". Has the solution not already been established - spin spaceships to make artificial gravity? Why is this not a standard thing now?
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Friday September 15 2017, @07:15PM
Because the standard thing now is more about keeping the gravy train going and less about science and progress.
Just look at the number of people (including NASA) talking about spending billions to put humans on Mars but somehow not wanting to spend money on testing to see if humans and popular livestock will do OK at Mars gravity levels. We know the effects of zero G on humans and animals but we haven't much data on in between zero G and 1G.
Stuff like this would have been a start but was cancelled:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centrifuge_Accommodations_Module [wikipedia.org]
Scientists already know of various ways of doing artificial gravity - as you mentioned spinning spaceships or a section is one, swinging it with tethers is another. They just haven't done that much real testing with animals and humans.
(Score: 2) by requerdanos on Friday September 15 2017, @07:52PM
No, indigestion will not be a significant factor. The inherent dangers in the harshness of the environment(s) in which space colonies are located are by far the greater challenge.
Simulations of these colonies on our planet have a built-in failsafe in that if you must exit the colony simulation, you leave into the living world of a nitrogen-oxygen planet with breathable air and temperatures largely suitable for life*. If you're in a colony in an actual hostile offworld location, you leave that colony in a properly working and provisioned environmental suit, or into a naturally inimical environment. This tends to magnify any smaller problem into a huge one if the problem can't be resolved completely self-sufficiently within the colony.
(*unless you're in Antarctica, where the temp at McMurdo is -31C as I write; but that's still friendlier and warmer than the average Martian temperature of -60C, and the Martian temperature comes with 95% less atmosphere and 99.999% less oxygen.)