Bacteria Thriving In Extreme Space Conditions Found On Chinese Space Station

A new, previously unknown strain of bacteria called niallia tiangongensis has been discovered on board China's Tiangong space station. As per the researchers, the new strain has remarkable mechanisms for adapting to extreme space environments, a discovery which might have real-life implications.

The microbe had a better ability to combat oxidative stress, a condition in which cells and tissues are damaged due to an imbalance in the body. Additionally, the bacteria was also better equipped against reverse radiation-induced damage, according to a report in the South China Morning Post.

Researchers from the Shenzhou Space Biotechnology Group and the Beijing Institute of Spacecraft System Engineering announced the discovery in a study published in the International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology.

"Structural and functional differences in proteins (BshB1 and SplA) were identified, which may enhance biofilm formation, oxidative stress response and radiation damage repair, thereby aiding its survival in the space environment," the study highlighted.

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The discovery of the microbe is part of CHAMP (China Space Station Habitation Area Microbiome Program), an ongoing initiative that tracks microbial dynamics during long-term station operations. In 2023, the crew members aboard the Shenzhou-15 spacecraft collected surface swabs across multiple modules and returned them to Earth for genomic and metabolic analysis.

"In this study, a Gram-positive, aerobic, spore-forming, rod-shaped strain JL1B1071 was isolated from the surface of hardware on the China Space Station," the article stated, adding that the microbe belonged to the genus niallia within the cyto bacillaceae, a family of rod-shaped bacteria.

The microbe's survival mechanism could help develop targeted control strategies for spacecraft, agriculture, industry and medicine. Moreover, the bacteria's ability to break down specific organic compounds suggests new, sustainable methods for converting waste into useful resources, both in orbit and on Earth.