STUDY OF THE EFFECTS OF SPACEFLIGHT FACTORS ON THE TECHNOLOGICAL AND
BIOMEDICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF BIFIDOBACTERIA (BIF)
Research Area: Microbiology
Expedition(s): 21-24, 27-30, 33 and 35
Principle Investigator(s): ● Igor V. Nyn, PhD, Biopreparat, Moscow, Russia
RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
The Study of the Effects of Spaceflight Factors on the Technological and Biomedical
Characteristics of Bifidobacteria (Bif) investigation identifies the specifics of metabolism and
morphology of different phenotypes of one strain of the Bifidobacteria caused by microgravity
in order to obtain probiotics with improved biomedical
properties and to increase the efficiency of production.
EARTH BENEFITS
A comparative analysis of the morpho-physiological
dissociation of the bifidobacteria on Earth and in
microgravity, assuming appropriate procedures, will
facilitate identification of the specifics of metabolism
and morphology of different phenotypes of one strain,
which will provide new opportunities to raise the
efficiency of producing bifido-containing probiotics
with improved biomedical characteristics.SPACE BENEFITS
The spaceflight factors may only serve as the main starting point for selecting organisms with
modified properties. Subsequent work with them on Earth may assist scientists in obtaining
technologically important material.
RESULTS
Bif utilized the Bifidobacterium bifidum 1 and Bifidobacterium adolescentis МС-42 strains to
observe onboard the ISS. Bif showed once again that microorganisms undergo phenotypic
changes during cultivations under the influence of different environmental factors. The
obtained results confirm that possibly, the changes in microorganisms’ activity types, which
occur on board of a space vehicle under condition of microgravity are not often due to genetic
or chromosomal mutations. And these are the very ones that define the stability of the newly
obtained properties of organisms and transmission of these properties from generation to
generation. Spaceflight factors, the most significant of which, microgravity, impossible to
simulate on Earth, may serve only as the most important starting point for the selection of
organisms with modified properties. Subsequent work with them on the ground may assist
scientists in obtaining technologically important material.
This investigation is complete and additional results are pending publication.
Electron-microscopic structure of the
Bifidobacterium bifidum 1. Roscosmos
image.