Scientists have found that space travel profoundly alters the gut microbiome, and their observations could guide future missions to space.
The groundbreaking study, led by a McGill University researcher in collaboration with University College Dublin, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) GeneLab database and an international consortium, paints the most detailed portrait yet day of the repercussions of spaceflight on the intestinal flora.
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Published in npj Biofilms and Microbiomes, the study examines changes over three months in the gut microbiome, colon and liver of mice aboard the International Space Station, and is based on cutting-edge genetic technologies. The study authors observed significant variations in some gut bacteria, consistent with changes in the mice’s liver and intestinal genes, suggesting that spaceflight could depress the immune system and alter the metabolism. According to the researchers, this is a breakthrough in understanding the possible effects of a long space mission on the health of astronauts.
“Spaceflight has significant effects on astronauts’ bodies, but we don’t yet understand all the mechanisms. The cutting-edge technologies we’ve used to study gut bacteria and genes together allow us to see emerge patterns that could explain these changes and lead to the design of preventive measures for future missions,” said Emmanuel Gonzalez, lead author of the study and specialist in microbiome bioinformatics at the Microbiome Research Center of the ‘Université McGill and the Canadian Center for genomics computational.
The study is part of a Nature Portfolio issue titled The Second Space Age: Omics, Platforms, and Medicine across Space Orbits, the largest publication to date on discoveries in space biology.
The researchers say their findings could contribute to the success of future space missions, whether establishing a long-term presence on the moon or sending humans to Mars.
Benefits for health on Earth
The results also apply to the health of people who will never leave our planetexplains Nicholas Brereton, lead author of the study and professor at University College Dublin.
“These findings highlight the crucial link between gut bacteria and overall health, particularly in the body’s management of energy and metabolism. It is essential to understand the effect of spaceflight on this delicate balance, and not only for the health of astronauts: this understanding could also give rise to medical breakthroughs on Earth,” he said.
The research was initiated by NASA’s GeneLab Analysis Working Group for Microbes. Genelab is funded by NASA’s Space Biology program (Science Mission directorate, Biological and Physical Sciences division).
The article “Spaceflight alters host-gut microbiota interactions,” by Gonzalez, E. et al., was published in August 2024 in npj Biofilms and Microbiomes. DOI: 10.1038/s41522-024-00545-1
