Based on the researchers, bacterial cellulose allows microbial life on Mars.
A group of researchers from Göttingen College investigates kombucha cultivation in extraterrestrial environments.
The opportunity of kombucha cultures surviving beneath Martian-like environments has been studied by a world analysis group that features the College of Göttingen. Kombucha, also called tea fungus or mushroom tea, is a well-liked beverage that's made by fermenting sugared tea utilizing kombucha cultures, a symbiotic tradition of micro organism and yeast.
Surprisingly, a bacterial species that produces cellulose persevered regardless of the simulated Martian ambiance destroying the kombucha cultures’ microbial ecology. The findings had been printed within the journal Frontiers in Microbiology.
In 2014, with the assistance of the European House Company, the researchers engaged on the “Biology and Mars Experiment” (BIOMEX) undertaking launched kombucha cultures to the Worldwide House Station (ISS).
One other platform (EXPOSE-R2) exterior the Worldwide House Station (ISS) for simulating a Mars-like setting that was used for the experiments. Credit score: European House Company (ESA)
The target was to get a greater understanding of cellulose’s resilience as a biomarker, kombucha’s genomic construction, and its extraterrestrial survival habits. The samples had been reactivated on Earth and cultured for an additional two and a half years after one and a half years beneath simulated Martian circumstances exterior the ISS.
Working alongside researchers from the College of Minas Gerais in Brazil, Professor Bertram Brenig, director of the College of Göttingen’s Institute of Veterinary Medication, was in command of sequencing and bioinformatic evaluation of the metagenomes of the reactivated cultures and particular person kombucha cultures.
“Based mostly on our metagenomic evaluation, we discovered that the simulated Martian setting drastically disrupted the microbial ecology of kombucha cultures. Nonetheless, we had been stunned to find that the cellulose-producing micro organism of the genus Komagataeibacter survived.”
Part of the EXPOSE-2 platform exterior the Worldwide House Station (ISS) simulating a Mars-like setting that was used for the experiments. Credit score: European House Company (ESA)
The outcomes counsel that the cellulose produced by the micro organism might be liable for their survival in extraterrestrial circumstances. This additionally gives the primary proof that bacterial cellulose could possibly be a biomarker for extraterrestrial life and cellulose-based membranes or movies could possibly be a great biomaterial for safeguarding life and producing client items in extraterrestrial settlements.
One other fascinating side of those experiments could possibly be the event of novel drug supply methods, for instance, the event of medication appropriate to be used in area. One other focus was on investigations into adjustments in antibiotic resistance: the analysis group was capable of present that the entire variety of antibiotic and steel resistance genes – which means that these microorganisms would possibly survive regardless of antibiotics or metals within the setting – had been enriched within the uncovered cultures.
“This outcome exhibits that the difficulties related to antibiotic resistance in medication in area needs to be given particular consideration sooner or later,” the scientists stated.
Reference: “The House-Uncovered Kombucha Microbial Neighborhood Member Komagataeibacter oboediens Confirmed Solely Minor Adjustments in Its Genome After Reactivation on Earth” by Daniel Santana de Carvalho, Ana Paula Trovatti Uetanabaro, Rodrigo Bentes Kato, Flávia Figueira Aburjaile, Arun Kumar Jaiswal, Rodrigo Profeta, Rodrigo Dias De Oliveira Carvalho, Sandeep Tiwar, Anne Cybelle Pinto Gomide, Eduardo Almeida Costa, Olga Kukharenko, Iryna Orlovska, Olga Podolich, Oleg Reva, Pablo Ivan P. Ramos, Vasco Ariston De Carvalho Azevedo, Bertram Brenig, Bruno Silva Andrade, Jean-Pierre P. de Vera, Natalia O. Kozyrovska, Debmalya Barh and Aristóteles Góes-Neto, 11 March 2022, Frontiers in Microbiology.
DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.782175
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