Bacteria in orbit adapt to radiation and life in space. Probably faster than astronauts.
It is not surprising that they adapt more quickly, since a bacteria can produce a new generation in a few hours, and both the astronauts and the humidity they bring with them constitute a good environment for certain microbes.
However, until recently, it was unknown how well these microbes adapted, considering that life on the space station is not ideal. The environment is as sterile as possible. And above all, there is this exposure to radiation throughout their “life” while astronauts only spend a few months up there.
Mutations
However, genetic analyzes carried out over the last 10 years now confirm that bacteria have inherited new traits, including some that could make them more virulent.
In a recently pre-published study, biostatistics and biotechnology experts from three countries compare the genomes of five species of bacteria identified on the space station, with their closest cousins remaining on Earth.
