Researchers Have Found Bacteria on the Chinese Space Station. Surprisingly, There’s a New Species Among Them

Space exploration places a strong emphasis on cleanliness. This is understandable. To search for life on other planets within our solar system, scientists must ensure that their spacecraft don’t carry any terrestrial life that could cause confusion. As such, space agencies closely monitor microorganisms that may be present on their spacecraft, even those that don’t travel to other planets.

Bacteria on board. Analysis of samples taken from the Chinese space station Tiangong recently revealed traces of an unknown bacterium in this typically aseptic environment. This newly discovered bacterium possesses mechanisms that allow it to survive the extreme conditions experienced on an orbital station.

Niallia tiangongensis. Researchers have named the newly identified species as Niallia tiangongensis, which references China’s space station. The name can be translated to mean “celestial palace.” Niallia tiangongensis shares its taxonomic genus with Niallia circulans, a pathogenic bacterium known to cause sepsis in immunocompromised patients.

Niallia tiangongensis is rod-shaped and can form spores. These oval structures protect the species’ genetic material in extreme conditions, including high temperatures, radiation, and water scarcity. Niallia tiangongensis possibly arrived at the station in this spore form.

A space bacterium? The evolutionary origin of the newly found bacterium is Earth. However, it remains unclear whether this new species exists on the surface or is the result of further evolution from another bacterium. This evolution could have occurred on board the space station, allowing bacterial colonies to survive in that environment.

It’s also possible that while the species has a predominantly terrestrial origin, its “space colonies” have adapted to thrive in the new extraterrestrial conditions.

Two years of study. Astronauts of the Shenzhou-15 mission collected samples leading to this discovery inside the station in May 2023. The analysis of these microorganisms has revealed important details regarding their survival strategies.

Researchers have identified genes that encode responses of these bacteria to extreme conditions, including their reactions to oxidative stress and their ability to repair radiation-induced damage. Notably, this bacterium can produce protective particles by utilizing nitrogen and carbon derived from the decomposition of gelatin.

Details of the finding were published in the International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology.

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From the ISS to Tiangong. This isn’t the first instance of finding bacteria aboard a space station. Scientists have been detecting bacteria on the International Space Station for years. In fact, astronauts have recently begun searching for life outside the spacecraft.

Researchers hadn’t previously detected the Niallia tiangongensis bacteria on other spacecraft like the ISS. This suggests that there’s diversity in the populations of microorganisms that inhabit vehicles and stations sent into space.

A lost race? Meanwhile, NASA has announced the discovery of multiple species of microorganisms inside one of its cleanrooms. These are supposed to be aseptic environments designed specifically to protect equipment and vehicles from contamination.

This raises the possibility that scientists may have sent (or are sending) microorganisms aboard probes exploring planets and satellites where they suspect extraterrestrial life may exist or may have existed. While these microbes can survive in low Earth orbit, it doesn’t necessarily mean they can withstand interplanetary travel, which is a troubling sign.

Image | Michael Schiffer

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