The Mysteries of The Astronaut Biome - Revealed
Looking up at space at night, one cannot help but wonder how people are surviving up there, how their day-today-lives might be, and how they can cope away from.
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Key takeaways
- Looking up at space at night, one cannot help but wonder how people are surviving up there, how their day-today-lives might be, and how they can cope away from the comfort of the planet Earth.
- He claimed that these places closely resemble what astronauts go through in space, particularly the darkness, confinement, and little human contact.
- Peace said it’s impossible to predict how a lengthy journey to Mars might affect the human microbiome compared to a brief stay on the ISS.
Looking up at space at night, one cannot help but wonder how people are surviving up there, how their day-today-lives might be, and how they can cope away from the comfort of the planet Earth. It’s true - life in space is far from a cakewalk. Black holes and the universe’s heat death are only two of humanity’s enormous risks in space. But there are other, more manageable possible risks that, according to some researchers, may require further consideration as society approaches long-distance space travel.
In this article, we will explore the different mysteries that often cloud our minds regarding astronauts’ lives. To be precise, we will be talking about the astronaut biome. Let’s dive in.
The Changes in Space #
In space, astronauts are known to have various health difficulties, such as psychological problems, muscle atrophy, and a loss of bone density. And on Earth, scientists are learning more and more about how the different bacteria and other microbes that dwell within and outside individuals - the human microbiome - impact physical and mental health.
In terrestrial environments that are somewhat like those found in space or in space itself, researchers attempt to understand the potential effects of space on the microbiome.
We could give you a few examples when talking about the not-so-pleasant instances of space changes. The six molecular changes that take place during spaceflight are as follows:
- DNA Damage
- Oxidative Stress
- Altered Telomere Length
- Changes in the Microbiota
- Mitochondrial Dysfunction
- Gene Regulation
When free radicals in a cell outnumber antioxidants, made possible by the space environment, oxidative stress results, the researchers discovered that the other molecular changes they noticed were mainly related to this kind of stress.
These cellular and molecular alterations may significantly impact the health of astronauts during and after their missions. In addition to disrupting circadian cycles and altering eyesight, these effects have been seen in several other body areas. For example, it affects the cardiovascular, central nervous, musculoskeletal, immunological, and gastrointestinal systems.
Microbiological Changes #
Norberto Goneález-Juarbe is a principal investigator with the J. Craig Venter Institute’s Infectious Diseases and Genomic Medicine Group’s astronaut microbiome research group. He is examining the microbiomes of scientists who work in the Concordia and Neumayer stations in Antarctica as an illustration of the former. He claimed that these places closely resemble what astronauts go through in space, particularly the darkness, confinement, and little human contact.
The team intends to examine samples taken from the researchers at these stations to determine how their immune systems respond to the space station-like settings and how the microbial composition of their gastrointestinal tracts changes. Early findings, according to Goneález-Juarbe, indicate changes in gut microorganisms, and the team is now examining the immunology data. By the year’s end, he plans to release the findings.
There have been a few investigations undertaken in space. For instance, a 2019 study examined the microbiomes of astronaut Scott Kelly and his twin brother Mark after the former spent nearly a year aboard the ISS beginning in 2015. According to the study, Scott Belly’s microbiome did alter over time. For him, this included a decrease in the bacteria known as Bacteroidetes, whose dysregulation has been connected to neurological, immunological, and metabolic problems. An increase in the bacteria known as Firmicutes can aid in the breakdown of some starches and fires.
Mystery Unfolded #
All researchers who spoke to Undark agreed that there are still many questions about the human microbiome in space. Nicole Buckley is the team leader with the European Space Agency’s SciSpacE program. He noted that it’s challenging to determine whether certain illnesses in space, such as sleep deprivation, are caused by microbial disruptions or if the microbes are merely contributing to or reacting to other diseases.
How scientists might restore a person’s microbiome in space, should it become out of balance to the point of disease, is also not apparent at this time, according to Peace. However, several experts pointed out that relatively easy adjustments might matter for astronauts. According to Goneález-Juarbe, offering fresh produce, high-fire diets, and microorganisms might encourage the production of short-chain fatty acids in the stomach, which supports the immune system. According to Buckley, pre- and probiotic meals may also be beneficial.
According to an email from NASA’s Advanced Food Technology Project’s Grace Douglas, astronauts in space have access to freeze-dried meals that include “normal quantities of food-relevant bacteria” but have been processed to remove any viruses. Resupply flights deliver small quantities of fresh fruits and vegetables to astronauts. Nevertheless, as per Buckley, a healthy microbiome necessitates avoiding processed foods and consuming more high-fire and fresh produce.
Conclusion #
Peace said it’s impossible to predict how a lengthy journey to Mars might affect the human microbiome compared to a brief stay on the ISS. However, he added, scientists have plenty of time to get a deeper understanding of the potential role the microbiome may have for humans’ health given the timeframe of spaceflight to the red planet, which NASA anticipates for the late 2030s or early 2040s.
Peace also advised researchers to keep using the tools at their disposal until that time, whether those tools are studies on Earth that resemble space, investigations into space itself, or even experiments that seek to learn more about the human microbiome while still safely on the ground. There isn’t just one way we can resolve this, he declared.
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