You may be wondering: how resilient can life be? The answer comes from the Tiangong space station, where a space bacterium never before observed on Earth was recently discovered. In an environment characterized by cosmic radiation, microgravity and complete isolation, this small organism not only survives, but thrives. And it does so with style, developing defense mechanisms that would make the best human-engineered protection systems envious. Niallia tiangongensis (this is the name of the new microbe) is a distant relative of terrestrial bacteria, but with one substantial difference: it has perfectly adapted to the extreme conditions of space.
A space cousin with superpowers
Just when we thought we knew all the secrets of microbes, space has another surprise in store for us. The protagonist of this story is a bacterium that has nothing to envy of comic book superheroes. We are talking about Niallia tiangongensis, a never-before-seen microorganism that Chinese researchers identified on their Tiangong space station.
According to the study published in theInternational Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology, this bacterium is a “cousin” of Niallia circulans, a terrestrial microorganism that commonly lives in soil. But unlike its relative, the newcomer has developed a series of characteristics that allow it to withstand the harsh conditions of space.
It's not easy to survive up there, between cosmic radiation, microgravity and oxidative stress. Yet this little organism did it, and in spectacular fashion. Niallia tiangongensis has demonstrated an extraordinary ability to repair cellular damage caused by radiation and to combat oxidative stress., two challenges that would knock out any other terrestrial microbe.
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The samples were collected in May 2023 by the crew of the Shenzhou-15 mission, as part of the CHAMP (China Space Station Habitation Area Microbiome Programme). The astronauts took swabs from the interior surfaces of the station, stored them at low temperatures, and brought them back to Earth for analysis.
But the question everyone is asking is: how did this bacterium get up there? Did it evolve directly on the space station or did it start from Earth in the form of a spore, and then adapt to the orbital environment? Scientists are divided between these two hypotheses, and the question remains open. If the first theory is true, we would have evidence that life can evolve even in extraterrestrial environments, with enormous implications for our understanding of astrobiology.
Il Dr. Jinshui Zheng, one of the researchers involved in the study, emphasized that “understanding the characteristics of microbes during long-term space missions is essential to safeguard the health of astronauts and maintain the functionality of space vehicles”. This is not just a scientific curiosity, but a practical necessity for the future of human space exploration.
A space bacterium with sophisticated tastes
One of the most curious features of this new space bacterium is its diet. Unlike its terrestrial cousin, Niallia tiangongensis has lost the ability to use some energy sources common on Earth, but has developed a unique ability: can break down gelatin as a source of nitrogen and carbon.
This peculiarity allows it to build a protective layer of biofilm when environmental conditions become too harsh. In practice, this microbe has built its own space suit to survive in the cosmic vacuum. Ingenious, don't you think?
The ability to metabolize compounds like gelatin suggests that this space bacterium could have practical applications in turning waste into useful resources, a key aspect of future long-duration space missions. Think about how useful it would be in future space stations or in bases on Mars, where every resource will have to be recycled to the maximum.
Implications for the future of space exploration
The discovery of Niallia tiangongensis is not only a scientific curiosity, but has important practical implications. By studying how this microorganism has adapted to the space environment, researchers could develop new strategies to protect astronauts during long-duration missions.
According to the China Space Agency, this research will produce “an exceptional harvest of data on the active substances, genetic resources, and metabolic functions of microbes.” Knowledge that could lead to new applications not only in space, but also on Earth.
Extremophilic microbes like this one often have mechanisms that can be exploited in medicine, agriculture and industry.. For example, they could lead to the development of new antibiotics, or enzymes capable of degrading pollutants in extreme conditions.
It's not the first, it won't be the last
Niallia tiangongensis is not the first bacterium to be found in space. In the past, microorganisms capable of surviving the extreme conditions of the orbital environment had been identified on the International Space Station. But this is the first to be discovered on the Chinese space station Tiangong, and its characteristics make it particularly interesting.
NASA, for its part, recently announced the discovery of 26 new bacterial species in the clean rooms used to prepare the Phoenix Mars lander. These bacteria, capable of surviving in highly sterilized environments, have developed genes related to DNA repair and resistance to toxic substances, similar to those identified in Niallia tiangongensis.
These discoveries remind us that life always finds a way to adapt, even in the most extreme conditions. And perhaps, one day, it will be these very small organisms that will pave the way for human expansion into the solar system.
Our space bacterium, with its ability to withstand radiation and utilize unusual resources, could be a valuable ally in our exploration of the cosmos. A tiny pioneer that teaches us how to survive where humans have never been before.
And who knows how many more surprises the orbiting laboratory Tiangong has in store for us, where life is silently evolving, adapting to a new environment and writing a new chapter in the history of evolution.
