tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32079676.post4786429002901608163..comments2024-02-13T21:22:02.522-08:00Comments on RRResearch: Do bacteria become 'superbugs' in space?Rosie Redfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06807912674127645263noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32079676.post-50009170123905741782011-05-02T06:34:24.314-07:002011-05-02T06:34:24.314-07:00I'm sorry but I find this a pretty pointless e...I'm sorry but I find this a pretty pointless experiment and sounds like something that NASA cobbled together to justify the 'research' potential of the program.<br /><br />Yes, biofilms, aerosols and colonization of the crew environment by microbes are all relevant to working in space but connections between microgravity and virulence induction? Give me a break. The gravitational potential across the width of a bacterium is a far, far lesser mechanical force than that produced by cell-cell adhesion, surface tension or motoring through liquid.Argonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32079676.post-40061574233315781982011-04-26T16:42:31.193-07:002011-04-26T16:42:31.193-07:00Prof Peter Taylor at the University of London Scho...Prof Peter Taylor at the University of London School of Pharmacy told me some time back that he too was unconvinced by their data. He had cause to look closely at their data when his lab members started looking at the issue of virulence in S.aureus in low-shier environments (http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2009.06.007).<br /><br />Incidentally, they actually found a suppression of virulence; not to say that different bacteria shouldn't behave differently, but the concern with S. aureus has been that S. aureus biofilms are doing quite well on the internal surfaces of the space station, so it's as well to see how its virulence profile and antibiotic susceptibility alters - studies on the ISS are thus warranted.Jimnoreply@blogger.com