All Microbes and Space articles
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NewsPlants could be used to grow medicines in space, study shows
Astronauts on long space missions may one day use plants to produce fresh stocks of medicines on demand. Researchers developed a simple method to grow and repeatedly harvest plant virus-based pharmaceuticals from plants under space-like conditions, without destroying the plants or generating large amounts of waste.
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NewsResearchers evaluate NASA medication storage protocols
Researchers evaluated NASA’s medication handling practices, which currently call for removing medications from their original packaging and storing them in resealable plastic bags. The investigation found that active pharmaceutical ingredients degrade at a higher rate when stored in bags.
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NewsSpecial collection explores emerging scientific evidence for land-based origins of life
A new special collection brings together leading researchers to examine growing evidence that life may have emerged within networks of terrestrial environments on early Earth.
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NewsLAMECS 2026 set to bring the next generation of microbiologists to Manchester
The future of applied microbiology takes centre stage in Manchester next month as the Letters in Applied Microbiology Early Career Scientist Research Symposium (LAMECS) returns for its fifteenth year.
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NewsEarly life on Earth relied on a surprisingly scarce metal
A new study shows that 3.4 billion years ago, life on Earth relied on a metal called molybdenum, despite its limited availability at the time. It is the first to trace molybdenum’s use this far back in time.
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NewsSome resilient fungi might survive the long voyage to Mars
Researchers recently identified fungi in samples from spacecraft-associated environments, including cleanrooms. Conidia grown from those fungi survived after exposure to simulations of the harsh conditions of Mars and space travel.
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NewsScientists successfully harvest chickpeas from ‘moon dirt’
Scientists have successfully grown and harvested chickpeas using simulated “moon dirt,” the first instance of this crop produced in this medium. They added vermicompost and coated the chickpeas with the fungi arbuscular mycorrhizae before planting.
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NewsGrowing buildings in space: researchers test fungi as construction material for moon, Mars
A NASA-funded project will investigate whether certain fungi can be combined with regolith — loose rock and soil found on the surface of the moon and other planets — to create materials that could one day support construction in places other than Earth.
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NewsLife forms can planet hop on asteroid debris – and survive
The extremophile bacterium Deinococcus radiodurans can survive the pressures developed during ejection from Mars as a result of massive asteroid impact, a study shows. It means microorganisms can survive more extreme conditions than previously thought, including launch across space after major impacts.
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NewsWater bears reveal potential for adapting and protecting Martian resources
Microscopic tardigrades help inform how simulated Martian soil might support plant life and mitigate contaminants shedding from human explorers, researchers report.
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News How recycled sewage could make the moon or Mars suitable for growing crops
Scientists are investigating how a solution of recycled sewage interacts with simulated lunar and Martian regolith to see if the result provides a suitable medium to grow crops. Bioregenerative life support systems consist of a series of bioreactors and filters that transform sewage into a nutrient-dense solution.
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NewsNew research highlights how biofilms could influence astronaut health, drug delivery and space agriculture
A global team of scientists has identified an often-overlooked biological system — biofilms — as a critical factor in the future of human space exploration.The team examines how biofilms could pose risks to astronaut health while also serving as powerful tools to sustain life beyond Earth.
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NewsMicrobes harvest metals from meteorites aboard space station
Microorganisms can harvest crucial minerals from rocks and could provide a sustainable alternative to transporting much-needed resources from Earth. Researchers have studied how those microorganisms extract platinum group elements from a meteorite in microgravity, with an experiment conducted aboard the International Space Station.
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NewsHow brick-building bacteria react to toxic chemical in Martian soil
Researchers investigated how bacteria that can mould Martian soil into brick-like structures fare in the presence of perchlorate, a toxic chlorine-containing chemical discovered in Martian soil. It slows down bacterial growth - but surprisingly leads to the formation of stronger bricks.
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NewsNaval Research Lab Space Station study reveals key challenges and opportunities for microbial biomanufacturing in space
Scientists have completed a spaceflight biology investigation aboard the International Space Station (ISS) that reveals how microgravity fundamentally alters microbial metabolism, limiting the efficiency of biological manufacturing processes critical to future long-duration space missions.
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NewsThe hidden microbial communities that shape health in space
A new Perspective article sets out a path to uncover the role of biofilms in health during long-duration spaceflight, and how spaceflight research can reshape our understanding of these microbial communities on Earth.
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NewsAboard the International Space Station, viruses and bacteria show atypical interplay
In a new study, terrestrial bacteria-infecting viruses were still able to infect their E. coli hosts in near-weightless “microgravity” conditions aboard the International Space Station, but the dynamics of virus-bacteria interactions differed from those observed on Earth.
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NewsCedars-Sinai and Exobiosphere partner to launch biomedical research aboard the Haven-1 Space Station
Cedars-Sinai is partnering with Exobiosphere, a company that has developed scientific hardware to automate biomedical research in space and on Earth, and will send experiments to Haven-1, set to become the world’s first commercial space station.
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NewsDynamic duo of bacteria could change Mars dust into versatile building material for first human colonists
Scientists are investigating a bacterial co-culture mixed with Martian regolith as a potential feedstock for 3D printing on Mars. At the intersection of astrobiology, geochemistry, material science, construction engineering, and robotics, this synergistic system could revolutionize the potential for construction on the Red Planet.
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NewsMachine learning tool can scan for signs of extraterrestrial life
A machine learning framework can distinguish molecules made by biological processes from those formed through non-biological processes and could be used to analyze samples returned by current and future planetary missions.