Date: 26/10/2022
Relevance: GS-3: Science and Technology, developments, Achievements of Indians in science & technology; indigenization of technology, developing new technology.
Key Phrases: International Space Station (ISS), Klebsiella pneumoniae, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Microbial interactions in the ISS, Significance of the ISS research.
Context:
- Researchers from IIT Madras and NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory have studied the interactions between microbes in the International Space Station (ISS).
- The study is expected to help devise strategies for the disinfection of space stations to minimize any potential impact of microbes on the health of astronauts.
Background:
- The present study was motivated by the earlier observations of the
dominance of Klebsiella pneumoniae on the surfaces of the ISS.
- This pathogen has been known to cause pneumonia and other nosocomial infections.
- The researchers were interested in understanding the behavior of
bacteria in-
- The growth of other microbes in the vicinity
- The possible implications it could have on others.
What is Klebsiella pneumoniae?
- About
- Klebsiella is a type of Gram-negative rod shaped bacteria.
- It can cause different types of healthcare-associated infections
which include
- Pneumonia
- Bloodstream infections
- Wound or surgical site infections
- Meningitis.
- Klebsiella has developed antimicrobial resistance, most recently to the class of antibiotics known as carbapenems.
- Where is it found?
- Klebsiella bacteria are normally found in the human intestines (where they do not cause disease) and in human stools.
- Who is prone to infection?
- Klebsiella infections commonly occur among sick patients who are receiving treatment for other conditions.
- Patients whose care requires devices like ventilators or intravenous catheters.
- Also, patients who are taking long courses of certain antibiotics are most at risk for Klebsiella infections.
- Healthy people usually do not get Klebsiella infections.
- Complications
- Pneumonia caused by K. pneumoniae can be complicated by bacteremia, lung abscesses, and the formation of an empyema.
Why is Klebsiella pneumoniae chosen?
- The Klebsiella bacterial family includes members like E. coli, Salmonella, etc, which are also present in the human gut.
- This bacterial family was found to be the most beneficial among the other microbes present on the ISS.
- These microbes are introduced in the sealed and closed space station through crew members.
What is the International Space Station (ISS)?
- About
- The International Space Station (ISS) is a space station, or a habitable artificial satellite, in low Earth orbit.
- Its first component launched into orbit in 1998 and today it is the largest structure humans have ever put into space low earth orbit (LEO)
- The ISS is the most complex international scientific and engineering project in history.
- As a permanently occupied outpost in outer space, it serves as a stepping stone for further space exploration.
- Specifications
- The ISS flies at an average altitude of 400 kilometers above Earth.
- It circles the globe every 90-92 minutes at a speed of about 28,000 kph.
- It completes about 15.5 orbits in a day.
- In one day, the station travels about the distance it would take to go from Earth to the moon and back.
- It can be seen from Earth without the use of a telescope by night sky observers and it appears as a bright moving light across the night sky.
- Funding and ownership
- Five different space agencies representing 15 countries built the $100-billion International Space Station.
- The ISS programme is a joint project between five participating
space agencies:
- NASA (United States)
- Roscosmos (Russia)
- JAXA (Japan)
- ESA (Europe)
- CSA (Canada)
- Its ownership and use has been established by intergovernmental treaties and agreements.
- It is expected to operate until 2030 and NASA plans to decommission it in 2031.
- Research
- Continuous presence at ISS has resulted in the longest continuous human presence in low earth orbit.
- The ISS serves as a microgravity and space environment research laboratory.
- The crew members conduct experiments in biology, human biology, physics, astronomy, meteorology, and other fields.
What are the outcomes of the research?
- The researchers at Robert Bosch Centre for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (RBCDSAI), IIT Madras analyzed the microbial sample data taken across three space flights at seven locations in the ISS.
- The study found that Klebsiella pneumoniae, a major microbe that resides on the ISS.
- It is beneficial to various other microbes also present on the ISS, especially the bacteria from the Pantoea genus.
Need for the research
- The microbiome of the built environment has a huge impact on human health.
- Controlled environments such as the ISS, harbour a variety of organisms.
- Unravelling the interactions of such bacteria is key to a better appreciation of the factors that shape the microbiome even in extreme conditions.
- Experiments performed in space help us understand health problems on Earth.
Significance of research onboard the ISS
- In the last two decades the ISS has contributed immensely to many scientific discoveries which were carried out in the microgravity of the ISS
- Drug development using protein crystals:
- Protein crystal growth experiments conducted aboard the space station have provided insights into numerous disease treatments, from cancer to gum disease to Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.
- Methods to combat muscle atrophy and bone loss:
- Space studies have contributed greatly to our knowledge of bone and muscle loss in astronauts – and how to mitigate those effects.
- The knowledge gained also applies to people on Earth dealing with diseases such as osteoporosis.
- In 2018, NASA's Cold Atom Lab became the first facility to produce the 5th state of matter in space which may provide insight into fundamental laws of quantum mechanics.
- Long-term stays aboard the space station have uncovered unexpected ways that the human body changes in microgravity.
- Many techniques for growing plants have been explored aboard the
space station to prepare for these missions.
- On August 10, 2015, astronauts sampled their first space-grown salad, and astronauts now are growing radishes in space.
Conclusion
- The environment at the space station is different from that on Earth and the interaction between the microbes is also affected by these adverse environmental conditions in space.
- There is a need for more knowledge on the microbes in space that can help devise appropriate safety measures for long-term space travel.
Source: THE HINDU BL
Mains Question:
Q. What do you know about microgravity and the International Space Station (ISS)? Why is the research in space significant for scientific advancements? Elucidate with recent examples. (150 words).
