Bacteria capable of surviving harsh space conditions discovered on China’s space station

A small passenger on China's space station is in the news. During routine inspections by astronauts, scientists found something unexpected—a new bacterial species with robust survival abilities in space.

Microbe With High Resistance Found in Space

The bacterium, Niallia tiangongensis, was discovered on hardware surfaces within the Tiangong space station. Scientists indicate that the microbe can possibly endure extreme space environments because of its special capabilities. The bacterium was highly resistant to oxidative stress, which damages cells when the body's equilibrium collapses. It was also seemingly more resistant to damage by radiation.

The research was reported in the International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology. Scientists from the Shenzhou Space Biotechnology Group and the Beijing Institute of Spacecraft System Engineering performed the research. They recognised some significant differences between two proteins—BshB1 and SplA—which could facilitate the growth of biofilms and DNA repair.