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Zaccaria T, de Jonge MI, Domínguez-Andrés J, Netea MG, Beblo-Vranesevic K, Rettberg P. Survival of Environment-Derived Opportunistic Bacterial Pathogens to Martian Conditions: Is There a Concern for Human Missions to Mars? ASTROBIOLOGY 2024; 24:100-113. [PMID: 38227836 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2023.0057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2024]
Abstract
The health of astronauts during space travel to new celestial bodies in the Solar System is a critical factor in the planning of a mission. Despite cleaning and decontamination protocols, microorganisms from the Earth have been and will be identified on spacecraft. This raises concerns for human safety and planetary protection, especially if these microorganisms can evolve and adapt to the new environment. In this study, we examined the tolerance of clinically relevant nonfastidious bacterial species that originate from environmental sources (Burkholderia cepacia, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Serratia marcescens) to simulated martian conditions. Our research showed changes in growth and survival of these species in the presence of perchlorates, under desiccating conditions, exposure to ultraviolet radiation, and exposure to martian atmospheric composition and pressure. In addition, our results demonstrate that growth was enhanced by the addition of a martian regolith simulant to the growth media. Additional future research is warranted to examine potential changes in the infectivity, pathogenicity, and virulence of these species with exposure to martian conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tommaso Zaccaria
- Research Group Astrobiology, Radiation Biology Department, Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V. (DLR), Cologne, Germany
- Department of Internal Medicine, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Marien I de Jonge
- Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands
- Laboratory of Medical Immunology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Jorge Domínguez-Andrés
- Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands
- Department of Internal Medicine, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Mihai G Netea
- Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands
- Department of Internal Medicine, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands
- Department for Immunology and Metabolism, Life and Medical Sciences Institute (LIMES), University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Kristina Beblo-Vranesevic
- Research Group Astrobiology, Radiation Biology Department, Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V. (DLR), Cologne, Germany
| | - Petra Rettberg
- Research Group Astrobiology, Radiation Biology Department, Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V. (DLR), Cologne, Germany
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