In Pics: Bacteria on NASA's ISS changing their shape, become more resistant to antibiotics

Bacteria on NASA's ISS

A new study has been found that on the survival of microbes on NASA's International Space Station(ISS). According to the report it has been found that bacteria cultured in microgravity exposed to common antibiotics were found changing their shape. Also, the bacteria is growing smaller cell volumes and thicker membranes, which made them far more resilient. Researchers has raised multiple concern if humanity is ever to become an interstellar space faring species. The E. coli bacteria were sent to the International Space Station in 2014 as part of an experimental project headed by CU Boulder’s Bio Serve Space Technologies.

Bacteria on NASA's ISS

This newly spotted phenomenon of the bacteria in near-weightlessness environments could cause a grave problem in medicating astronauts diagnosed with infections.

Bacteria on NASA's ISS

The drug antibiotic gentamicin is known for killing micro organisms on Earth. The microbe portrayed a 13-fold rise in the cell numbers along with a reduction of 73 percent in the cell column size.

Bacteria on NASA's ISS

“We knew bacteria behave differently in space and that it takes higher concentrations of antibiotics to kill them,” said lead autho Luis Zea, a BioServe Research Associate. “What’s new is that we conducted a systematic analysis of the changing physical appearance of the bacteria during the experiments.”

Bacteria on NASA's ISS

Both the increase in cell envelope thickness and in the outer membrane vesicles may be indicative of drug resistance mechanisms being activated in the spaceflight samples,” said Zea. “And this experiment and others like it give us the opportunity to better understand how bacteria become resistant to antibiotics here on Earth.”

Bacteria on NASA's ISS

"This experiment and others like it give us the opportunity to better understand how bacteria become resistant to antibiotics here on Earth," Dr Zea concluded.