Normally the guilty of our ailments are viruses and bacteria of various types. It seems, however, that on the International Space Station (ISS, by the English acronym International Space Station) the opposite is worth: astronauts often have to deal with immune dysfunctions, skin rash and other inflammatory problems because the environment is too sterile. According to a study published on Cellwe should therefore try to introduce microbes on board, making the space station more similar to a terrestrial environment (without exaggerating, however!).
Terrestrial environments not to imitate. Without exaggerating, we said … yes, because if we thought of the microbes that colonize objects that we use daily in our homes there would be little to imitate. We have already told you about the incubated kitchen sponge, a need for billions of bacteria including close relatives of those who cause meningitis and pneumonia; And what about the smartphones where, in addition to mushrooms and molds, have resistant antibiotic bacteria such as the Escherichia coli and the aureo staphylococcal bacteria have been found? Not to mention the shoes (which we often do not remove before entering the house, even if we should), which also bring with them residual toxins of the asphalt with carcinogenic properties and endocrine destroyers (i.e. substances that interfere with our endocrine system).
More microbes! Analyzing the 803 samples collected from the different surfaces of the ISS, the authors of the study have mainly identified microorganisms of human skin, but also chemicals from disinfectants and cleaning products. Each room of the space vehicle hosted “coherent” community of microorganisms with the function of the room itself – in the area used for meals there were more microbes typical of food, while in the more metabolite bathrooms and bacteria associated with urine and feces.
In general, however, what has skipped the eye of the researchers is the lower diversity of the microbial communities with respect to the land champions, and in particular the lack of Microorganisms of the environment is not symbipedthose who – on earth – They generally live in water and soil. It is precisely these microorganisms, which have beneficial impacts on our immune system, which we should use to “dirty” the ISS making it a little less sterile and more microbically different, improving the health of astronauts without sacrificing hygiene.
