Phage and Bacteria Experiments in Space Reveal Unique Mutations

Researchers studying microbial evolution aboard the International Space Station (ISS) have identified genetic changes in bacteria and viruses that differ from those seen in similar experiments on Earth. These findings highlight how microgravity can influence the development of microorganisms in ways not observed under standard laboratory conditions.

Experiments conducted on the ISS involved infecting E. coli bacteria with T7 bacteriophage to observe interactions between the two organisms in a microgravity environment. The research team used whole-genome sequencing to compare the genetic changes that occurred in space with those from Earth-based controls.

Sequencing results indicated that both the bacteriophages and E. coli accumulated distinctive mutations during the space experiments. The mutations observed in microgravity were not present in the samples grown under normal gravity on Earth, suggesting that the space environment drives unique evolutionary pathways.

Further analysis focused on the receptor-binding protein of the T7 phage, a component critical for infecting bacteria. Deep mutational scanning was used to assess how this protein changed in response to the space environment, revealing specific mutations linked to altered activity.

What the numbers show

• ISS experiments involved infecting E. coli with T7 bacteriophage
• Whole-genome sequencing compared space and Earth samples
• Deep mutational scanning targeted the phage receptor-binding protein

Testing on Earth demonstrated that some of the phage mutations acquired in space were associated with increased activity against drug-resistant E. coli strains. This suggests that the microgravity environment may produce genetic changes with practical applications for combating antibiotic resistance.

The studies also found that microgravity altered the timing and progression of phage infection in bacteria. Infection onset was delayed, and the evolutionary trajectories of both organisms diverged from those observed in ground-based experiments.

According to the researchers, microgravity provides a distinct physical and evolutionary setting that can reveal combinations of mutations not accessible through standard laboratory evolution. This environment may be useful for uncovering new genetic variants with potential benefits for biotechnology or medicine.

Based on these findings, the research team suggested that adaptations arising from space-based experiments could be used to engineer bacteriophages with enhanced capabilities against drug-resistant pathogens on Earth. The results indicate that space environments offer opportunities to explore microbial evolution beyond what is possible with traditional laboratory methods.

* This article is based on publicly available information at the time of writing.