GROWTH AND SURVIVAL OF COLORED FUNGI IN SPACE-A (CFS-A)
Research Area: Microbiology
Expedition(s): 25- 28
Principal Investigator(s): ● Dumitru Hasegan, , Romanian Institutes of Space Science and
Biology, Bucharest, Romania
● George Mogildea, Romanian Institutes of Space Science and
Biology, Bucharest, Romania
● Elias Chatzitheodoridis, National Technical University of
Athens, Greece
RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
Growth and Survival of Colored Fungi in Space-A (CFS-A) determines the effect of microgravity
and cosmic radiation on the growth and survival of colored fungi species. The fungal species
chosen for experiments belong to 4 genera selected as organic material decomposers, possible
contaminants of materials destined for interplanetary travel, aggressive biodeteriogens of
artworks, and wooden buildings.
RESULTS
Different growth rates were observed for the aerial and
for the submerged mycelium. Growth of aerial mycelium
has a high rate in flight and ground controls up to Flight
Day 5, then becomes lower and stops between Flight Day
8-9. Sporulation takes place in flight and ground, but it is
less abundant compared to ground and laboratory
control.Integration of the microcapsules in the biocontainers showed a negative effect on the growth
and on the sporulation in comparison with the laboratory control; new ground experiments will
be made to acquire more information.
Microgravity reduced the rate of growth of aerial mycelium and stimulates the growth of
submerged mycelium. The CFS-A experiment demonstrated that fungi as biodeteriogens and
biodegraders are able to grow in microgravity, such as inside the International Space Station
(ISS) where substrates are humid.
For the dry spore samples the spores chosen for the CFS-A experiment were still viable after 5
months in microgravity. Ulocladium chartarum spores are more resistant from a viability point
of view then Basipetospora halophila and Cladosporium herbarum spores but less than
Aspergillus niger spores. Aspergillus niger spores were more than 91% viable on all types of
wafers.
Basipetospora halophila spores had a lower viability on ISS than on the ground, which could
suggest that white spores are more sensitive to the ISS environment than black spores.
Colored fungi. ESA image.