Scientists have identified strains of the bacterium Enterobacter on the International Space Station (ISS), which they say should be studied for potential health implications for astronauts on future missions.
Researchers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and California Institute of Technology in the US investigated five strains of Enterobacter that were isolated from the space toilet and the exercise platform on the ISS in March 2015.
Comparing the genomes of the five ISS strains to three clinical Earth strains allowed the researchers to get a better understanding of whether the ISS strains showed characteristics of antimicrobial resistance.
While the ISS E bugandensis strains were not pathogenic to humans, the researchers predicted via computer analyses, a 79 per cent probability that they may potentially cause disease.
However, analyses in living organisms should be carried out to confirm this, researchers said. (PTI)
