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Research Containing: Environment

Extracellular Lipase and Protease Production from a Model Drinking Water Bacterial Community Is Functionally Robust to Absence of Individual Members

by cfynanon 22 August 2016in Biology & Biotechnology No comment

Bacteria secrete enzymes into the extracellular space to hydrolyze macromolecules into constituents that can be imported for microbial nutrition. In bacterial communities, these enzymes and their resultant products can be modeled as community property. Our goal was to investigate the impact of individual community member absence on the resulting community production of exoenzymes (extracellular enzymes) involved in lipid and protein hydrolysis. Our model community contained nine bacteria isolated from the potable water system of the International Space Station. Bacteria were grown in static conditions individually, all together, or in all combinations of eight species and exoproduct production was measured by colorimetric or fluorometric reagents to assess short chain and long chain lipases, choline-specific phospholipases C, and proteases. The exoenzyme production of each species grown alone varied widely, however, the enzyme activity levels of the mixed communities were functionally robust to absence of any single species, with the exception of phospholipase C production in one community. For phospholipase C, absence of Chryseobacterium gleum led to increased choline-specific phospholipase C production, correlated with increased growth of Burkholderia cepacia and Sphingomonas sanguinis. Because each individual species produced different enzyme activity levels in isolation, we calculated an expected activity value for each bacterial mixture using input levels or known final composition. This analysis suggested that robustness of each exoenzyme activity is not solely mediated by community composition, but possibly influenced by bacterial communication, which is known to regulate such pathways in many bacteria. We conclude that in this simplified model of a drinking water bacterial community, community structure imposes constraints on production and/or secretion of exoenzymes to generate a level appropriate to exploit a given nutrient environment.

Related URLs:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26599415

Microbiomes of the dust particles collected from the International Space Station and Spacecraft Assembly Facilities

by cfynanon 22 August 2016in Biology & Biotechnology No comment

BACKGROUND: The International Space Station (ISS) is a unique built environment due to the effects of microgravity, space radiation, elevated carbon dioxide levels, and especially continuous human habitation. Understanding the composition of the ISS microbial community will facilitate further development of safety and maintenance practices. The primary goal of this study was to characterize the viable microbiome of the ISS-built environment. A second objective was to determine if the built environments of Earth-based cleanrooms associated with space exploration are an appropriate model of the ISS environment. RESULTS: Samples collected from the ISS and two cleanrooms at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL, Pasadena, CA) were analyzed by traditional cultivation, adenosine triphosphate (ATP), and propidium monoazide-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PMA-qPCR) assays to estimate viable microbial populations. The 16S rRNA gene Illumina iTag sequencing was used to elucidate microbial diversity and explore differences between ISS and cleanroom microbiomes. Statistical analyses showed that members of the phyla Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, and Proteobacteria were dominant in the samples examined but varied in abundance. Actinobacteria were predominant in the ISS samples whereas Proteobacteria, least abundant in the ISS, dominated in the cleanroom samples. The viable bacterial populations seen by PMA treatment were greatly decreased. However, the treatment did not appear to have an effect on the bacterial composition (diversity) associated with each sampling site. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study provide strong evidence that specific human skin-associated microorganisms make a substantial contribution to the ISS microbiome, which is not the case in Earth-based cleanrooms. For example, Corynebacterium and Propionibacterium (Actinobacteria) but not Staphylococcus (Firmicutes) species are dominant on the ISS in terms of viable and total bacterial community composition. The results obtained will facilitate future studies to determine how stable the ISS environment is over time. The present results also demonstrate the value of measuring viable cell diversity and population size at any sampling site. This information can be used to identify sites that can be targeted for more stringent cleaning. Finally, the results will allow comparisons with other built sites and facilitate future improvements on the ISS that will ensure astronaut health.

Related URLs:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26502721

Materials International Space Station Experiment 5 Polymer Film Thermal Control Experiment

by cfynanon 9 June 2015in Physical Sciences No comment

It is known that polymer films can degrade as a result of space environmental exposure, but the magnitude of the mechanical property degradation and the degree to which the difference environmental factors play a role is not well understood. An experiment was flown on the Materials International Space Station Experiment 5 to determine the change in tensile strength and recent elongation of some typical polymer films exposed in a nadir-facing environment on the International Space Station and, where possible, compare with similar ram-and wake-facing experiment flown on the Materials Internationals Space Station Experiment 1 to get a better indication of the role the difference environments play in mechanical property change. It was found that the majority of the polymers tested experienced some loss in tensile/yield strength and percent elongation with polytetrafluroethylene Teflon having the greatest change. Where comparisons could be made with the Materials International Space Station Experiment 1, it appears that the loss in percent elongation is dependent on the radiation level while the loss of tensile strength is not as sensitive to the level of radiation.

Related URLs:
http://dx.doi.org/10.2514/1.49482

Space Environment Exposure of Polymer Films on the Materials International Space Station Experiment: Results from MISSE 1 and MISSE 2

by cfynanon 9 June 2015in Physical Sciences No comment

A total of thirty-one samples were included in the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Glenn Research Center (GRC) Polymer Film Thermal Control (PFTC) and Gossamer Materials experiments, which were exposed to the low Earth orbit environment for nearly 4 years on the exterior of the International Space Station (ISS) as part of the Materials International Space Station Experiment (MISSE 1 and MISSE 2). This paper describes objectives, materials, and characterizations for the MISSE 1 and MISSE 2 GRC PFTC and Gossamer Materials samples. Samples included films of polyimides, fluorinated polyimides, and Teflon® fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP) with and without second-surface metalized layers and/or surface coatings. Films of polyphenylene benzobisoxazole (PBO) and a polyarylene ether benzimidazole (TOR-LM TM) were also included. Polymer film samples were examined post-flight for changes in mechanical and optical properties. The environment in which the samples were located was characterized through analysis of sapphire contamination witness samples and samples dedicated to atomic oxygen (AO) erosion measurements. Results of the analyses of the PFTC and Gossamer Materials experiments are discussed.

Related URLs:
http://hip.sagepub.com/content/20/4-5/371.abstract

International Space Station Agricultural Camera (ISSAC) Sensor Onboard the International Space Station (ISS) and Its Potential Use on the Earth Observation

by cfynanon 9 June 2015in Earth Science and Remote Sensing No comment

Recently launched and installed inside the Window Observational Research Facility (WORF) in the International Space Station (ISS), the International Space Station Agricultural Camera (ISSAC) sensor is an area-scan multi-spectral optical imaging system built by students and faculty at the University of North Dakota (UND). Radiometric calibration was conducted before launch and performance validation was evaluated with radiance extracted from Landsat5 TM image that was overpassed nearly at the same time as ISSAC overpass. Ground truth measurement with Analytical Spectral Devices (ASD, ASD Inc., Boulder CO) was also carried out over fairly homogenous regions of interest such as bare soil, gravel parking lot, crop and short grass pastures. Using the 6S radiative transfer model, radiances measured at the top-of-the atmosphere were converted into surface reflectance. Atmospheric corrected surface reflectance from ISSAC images was compared with the spectrum of ground ASD measurement. The results for both radiance and surface reflectance show fairly good agreements. This indicates that ISSAC would be a prospective candidate that would be able to fill the temporal gaps of Landsat 16-day revisit cycle. Higher rate of temporal opportunities from ISSAC sensor will result in significant improvement on decision making for users especially in time sensitive disaster management, farming practices or environmental issues occurred in short time frame.

Related URLs:

Bacillus anthracis-like bacteria and other B. cereus group members in a microbial community within the International Space Station: a challenge for rapid and easy molecular detection of virulent B. anthracis

by cfynanon 9 June 2015in Biology & Biotechnology No comment

For some microbial species, such as Bacillus anthracis, the etiologic agent of the disease anthrax, correct detection and identification by molecular methods can be problematic. The detection of virulent B. anthracis is challenging due to multiple virulence markers that need to be present in order for B. anthracis to be virulent and its close relationship to Bacillus cereus and other members of the B. cereus group. This is especially the case in environments where build-up of Bacillus spores can occur and several representatives of the B. cereus group may be present, which increases the chance for false-positives. In this study we show the presence of B. anthracis-like bacteria and other members of the B. cereus group in a microbial community within the human environment of the International Space Station and their preliminary identification by using conventional culturing as well as molecular techniques including 16S rDNA sequencing, PCR and real-time PCR. Our study shows that when monitoring the microbial hygiene in a given human environment, health risk assessment is troublesome in the case of virulent B. anthracis, especially if this should be done with rapid, easy to apply and on-site molecular methods.

Related URLs:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24945323

Microbial existence in controlled habitats and their resistance to space conditions

by cfynanon 9 June 2015in Biology & Biotechnology No comment

The National Research Council (NRC) has recently recognized the International Space Station (ISS) as uniquely suitable for furthering the study of microbial species in closed habitats. Answering the NRC's call for the study, in particular, of uncommon microbial species in the ISS, and/or of those that have significantly increased or decreased in number, space microbiologists have begun capitalizing on the maturity, speed, and cost-effectiveness of molecular/genomic microbiological technologies to elucidate changes in microbial populations in the ISS and other closed habitats. Since investigators can only collect samples infrequently from the ISS itself due to logistical reasons, Earth analogs, such as spacecraft-assembly clean rooms, are used and extensively characterized for the presence of microbes. Microbiologists identify the predominant, problematic, and extremophilic microbial species in these closed habitats and use the ISS as a testbed to study their resistance to extreme extraterrestrial environmental conditions. Investigators monitor the microbes exposed to the real space conditions in order to track their genomic changes in response to the selective pressures present in outer space (external to the ISS) and the spaceflight (in the interior of the ISS). In this review, we discussed the presence of microbes in space research-related closed habitats and the resistance of some microbial species to the extreme environmental conditions of space.

Related URLs:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25130881

Characterization of the survival ability of Cupriavidus metallidurans and Ralstonia pickettii from space-related environments

by cfynanon 9 June 2015in Biology & Biotechnology No comment

Four Cupriavidus metallidurans and eight Ralstonia pickettii isolates from the space industry and the International Space Station (ISS) were characterized in detail. Nine of the 12 isolates were able to form a biofilm on plastics and all were resistant to several antibiotics. R. pickettii isolates from the surface of the Mars Orbiter prior to flight were 2.5 times more resistant to UV-C(254nm) radiation compared to the R. pickettii type strain. All isolates showed moderate to high tolerance against at least seven different metal ions. They were tolerant to medium to high silver concentrations (0.5-4 muM), which are higher than the ionic silver disinfectant concentrations measured regularly in the drinking water aboard the ISS. Furthermore, all isolates survived a 23-month exposure to 2 muM AgNO(3) in drinking water. These resistance properties are putatively encoded by their endogenous megaplasmids. This study demonstrated that extreme resistance is not required to withstand the disinfection and sterilization procedures implemented in the ISS and space industry. All isolates acquired moderate to high tolerance against several stressors and can grow in oligotrophic conditions, enabling them to persist in these environments.

Related URLs:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23212653

Seed-to-seed growth of Arabidopsis Thaliana on the international space station

by cfynanon 9 June 2015in Biology & Biotechnology No comment

The assembly of the International Space Station (ISS) as a permanent experimental outpost has provided the opportunity for quality plant research in space. To take advantage of this orbital laboratory, engineers and scientists at the Wisconsin Center for Space Automation and Robotics (WCSAR), University of Wisconsin-Madison, developed a plant growth facility capable of supporting plant growth in the microgravity environment. Utilizing this Advanced Astroculture (ADVASC) plant growth facility, an experiment was conducted with the objective to grow Arabidopsis thaliana plants from seed-to-seed on the ISS. Dry Arabidopsis seeds were anchored in the root tray of the ADVASC growth chamber. These seeds were successfully germinated from May 10 until the end of June 2001. Arabidopsis plants grew and completed a full life cycle in microgravity. This experiment demonstrated that ADVASC is capable of providing environment conditions suitable for plant growth and development in microgravity. The normal progression through the life cycle,. as well as the postflight morphometric analyses, demonstrate that Arabidopsis thaliana does not require the presence of gravity for growth and development.

Related URLs:
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0273117703002503

[Fungal biota in manned space environment and impact on human health]

by cfynanon 9 June 2015in Biology & Biotechnology No comment

It is important to promote microbiological research essential for long-term manned space activities under microgravity and in a completely closed environment in space craft in relation to long-duration space expeditions on the International Space Station (ISS) or to the moon and Mars in the future. Environmental monitoring data from the space shuttle, the Mir, and the ISS have already shown that microorganisms isolated from air and on inner surfaces of space craft were generally carried by crew members. The Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) "KIBO" was attached to the ISS and started its operation from 2008. It is an invaluable opportunity to begin the survey of the transition of microbiota, particularly fungal biota, in JEM from "brand-new" to "well-used" condition at various periods. Therefore, we are preparing the on-board analyzing systems for microbiota in air and on inner surfaces of ISS/JEM and normal microbiota of the astronauts themselves. In this paper, we introduce the current status and future plans on fungal research on ISS/JEM to protect flight crew members and flight hardware from potentially hazardous microorganisms from the environmental and biomedical aspects of Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).

Related URLs:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21358138

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