Microbes on the International Space Station

The Microbial Tracking 1 experiment has collected samples of fungi and bacteria from the International Space Station. This fungi sample was collected on May 5 and 6, 2016.

The Microbial Tracking-1 experiment has collected samples of fungi and bacteria from the International Space Station. This fungi sample was collected on May 5 and 6, 2016.

Media Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

According to Dr. Michael Roberts, deputy chief scientist for the ISS National Lab, “Everywhere that humans go, microbes go with them.” This means that microbes travel to the International Space Station along with the crew. Research on microbes in space benefits those of us on Earth. Genes in Space offers an opportunity to design these types of investigations with the possibility of launching to space!