Bacteria and viruses evolve differently in space environment
A study conducted aboard the International Space Station (ISS) has shown that bacteria infecting viruses behave differently in microgravity than on Earth, opening new possibilities for combating drug resistant infections, reports a Qazinform News Agency correspondent.
According to research published in the scientific journal PLOS Biology, viruses known as bacteriophages were still able to infect Escherichia coli in near weightless conditions, but the course of infection and subsequent evolution diverged markedly from terrestrial patterns.
The research team led by Phil Huss of the University of Wisconsin–Madison compared E. coli cultures infected with the T7 phage on Earth and in orbit. While infection in space was initially delayed, the virus ultimately succeeded in replicating. Genome sequencing revealed that both bacteria and phages accumulated distinct mutations under microgravity conditions.
Phages aboard the space station developed genetic changes that enhanced their ability to bind to bacterial receptors, potentially increasing infectivity. At the same time, space grown E. coli acquired mutations that strengthened phage resistance and improved survival in microgravity.
Using deep mutational scanning, the researchers identified significant alterations in the T7 receptor binding protein. Follow up experiments on Earth linked these space associated mutations to increased effectiveness against E. coli strains responsible for urinary tract infections in humans, including strains normally resistant to T7.
The authors conclude that space-based experiments offer more than insight into microbial adaptation beyond Earth.
As they noted, “Space fundamentally changes how phages and bacteria interact: infection is slowed, and both organisms evolve along a different trajectory than they do on Earth. By studying those space driven adaptations, we identified new biological insights that allowed us to engineer phages with far superior activity against drug resistant pathogens back on Earth.”
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that an international team of researchers said it may have identified DNA traces potentially linked to Leonardo da Vinci, a development that could reshape the authentication of Renaissance artworks, while scientists emphasized that the evidence remains preliminary.