duane l. pierson, ph.d. nasa johnson space center houston, texas microbiological risks associated...
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Duane L. Pierson, Ph.D.NASA Johnson Space Center
Houston, Texas
www.spaceflight.nasa.gov
Microbiological Risks Associated With Spaceflight
MICROBIOLOGY MISSION STATEMENT
Our mission is to enable human exploration and habitation of space through a better understanding of microbes and human–microbe interactions in the space environment.
MAJOR FOCUS: RISK MITIGATION
• SPACE FLIGHT OPERATIONS
• OPERATIONAL BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH
• REQUIREMENTS• ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING• CREW DIAGNOSTICS• FOOD ANALYSIS• CREW TRAINING• DATABASE
• INFECTIOUS DISEASE RISK (HOST-MICROBE INTERACTION)• SPACE FLIGHT• GROUND-BASED
• Infectious Diseases
• Allergies• Plant Diseases
• Material Degradation
• Immune Alteration
• Volatile Release• Food Spoilage
• Environmental Contamination
• Toxin Production
ADVERSE EFFECTS OF MICROORGANISMS
PREVENTIVE MEASURES
• Acceptability standards– (air, surfaces, water, and food)
• Preflight assessment– Crew– Environment– Payload biosafety assessment
• In-flight environmentalmonitoring– Air: Microbial Air Sampler– Surfaces: Surface Sampler Kit– Water: Water Microbiology Kit
STS MISSION PROFILESTS MISSION PROFILE
PREFLIGHT IN-FLIGHT POSTFLIGHT
ACTIVITIES
Microbiology
Viral Serology
Food Analysis
Orbiter Evaluation
Crew Evaluation
Orbiter Water
L-90
L-30
L-2
R+0
L-40
ServicingL-15
L-2 R+0
CF
U/m
33
00
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
FD12
Middeck FlightDeck
Spacelab
FD1
Middeck FlightDeck
Spacelab
FD6
Middeck FlightDeck
Spacelab
Bacteria Fungi
AIR DATA STS-58AIR DATA STS-58
Isolation Frequency (%)0 20 40 60 80 100
Staphylococcus sp.
Micrococcus sp.
Bacillus sp.
Corynebacterium sp.
Staphylococcus aureus
Streptococcus sp.
Acinetobacter sp.
Enterobacter sp.
Unidentified gram negative rods
Serratia marcescens
Pseudomonas paucimobilis
Klebsiella sp.
Flavobacterium sp.
Bacteria Isolated From Shuttle In-Flight Air Bacteria Isolated From Shuttle In-Flight Air (n=16)(n=16)
Isolation Frequency (%)Isolation Frequency (%)0 20 40 60 80 100
Aspergillus sp.
Penicillium sp.
Hyphomycete
Aspergillus fumigatus
Cladosporium sp.
Alternaria sp.
Streptomyces sp.
Drechslera sp.
Microsporium sp.
Rhodotorula sp.
Geotrichum sp.
Nigrospora sp.
Pleospora sp.
Fungi Isolated From Shuttle In-Flight Air (n=16)Fungi Isolated From Shuttle In-Flight Air (n=16)
Gareth Cook, Boston Globe Staff (10-1-00)
“. . . The aging mir …. is nearly overrun withthe stuff (fungi). Vistors have found numerous
fungal patches with hues between green andblack, feeding behind control panels, slowly
digesting the ship’s air conditioner,communications unit, and myriad other
surfaces.”
Yuri Karash
Space.com 7/27/00
“. . . Mir crewmembers noticed that the viewfrom the station’s porthole was deteriorating
due to an unknown film that was spreading likehorror movie scum.”
Water Surfaces
Air
MICROBIAL ANALYSIS DURING FLIGHTMICROBIAL ANALYSIS DURING FLIGHT
Wolf spent several hours working with Vinagradov
to mop up a basketball-size drop of water………
“I didn’t realize I bought myself anywhere
from two to six hours per day doing this
for the rest of the mission.”
Wolf spent several hours working with Vinagradov
to mop up a basketball-size drop of water………
“I didn’t realize I bought myself anywhere
from two to six hours per day doing this
for the rest of the mission.”
- Astronaut David Wolf- Astronaut David Wolf
from DRAGONFLY by Bryan Burrough
NASA 6
“SLIMY” SAMPLE
NASA 7
“SLIMY” SAMPLE
NASA 7
“FRESH” SAMPLEAlcaligenes eutrophusAlcaligenes latusCitrobacter freundiiCorynebacterium aquaticumCorynebacterium jeikeiumEnterobacter agglomeransEscherichia coliHydrogenophaga flavaKingella denitrificanMethylobacterium speciesPseudomonas vesicularisSerratia liquefaciensUnidentified gram negative rodXanthomonas maltophilia
Bacillus coagulansBacillus licheniformisBacillus pumilusBacillus speciesComamonas acidovoransCorynebacterium speciesEnterobacter cloacaePresumptive Legionella speciesPseudomonas species Rhodococcus speciesSerratia liquefaciensSerratia marceransSphingobacterium thalpophilumUnidentified gram negative rods (4)Yersinia frederikseniiYersinia intermedia
Alcaligenes faecalisBacillus circulansBacillus coagulansBacillus licheniformisBacillus pumilusBacillus speciesCDC Group IVC 2Citrobacter brackiiCitrobacter freundiiComamonas acidovoransCorynebacterium speciesFlavobacterium meningosepticumPresumptive Legionella species Pseudomonas fluorescensSerratia liquefaciensSerratia marcesensUnidentified gram negative rods (3)Yersinia frederikseniiYersinia intermedia
Escherichia coli
Serratia marcescens
Presumptive Legionella
BACTERIA FROM MIR SURFACE BACTERIA FROM MIR SURFACE CONDENSATECONDENSATE
ciliated protozoa
ameoba spirochete-form bacterium
dust mite
Organisms Recovered From Mir Surface Condensate
BACTERIAL FINGERPRINTING
• Microorganisms play a key role in the biodestruction of materials and can contribute to equipment and hardware malfunctions
BIODEGRADATIONBIODEGRADATION
Future Directions
Major Challenges in Mars Exploration
• Air
• Water
• Food
• Forward-Backward Contamination
• Crew Contamination
• Habitability
• Radiation Effects