INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Sci and Tech)

Context: Scientists from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT-M) and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) have carried out a collaborative study of the behaviour of multi-drug resistant pathogens aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

International Space Station (ISS)

• About: It is the largest modular space station in low Earth orbit. The project involves five space agencies:

oThe US' NASA, Russia's Roscosmos, Japan's JAXA, Europe's ESA, and Canada's CSA. It orbits Earth approximately every 90 minutes, at an altitude of around 400 kilometers.

• Designed: Between 1984 and 1993.
• Objective: To enable long-term exploration of space and provide benefits to people on Earth.
• Orbit: It orbits earth at an average altitude of 400 km and circles the globe every 90-93 minutes at a speed of 28,000 km/h.

Key findings of Study of Multidrug-Resistant Pathogens

• Focus: The study focused on the genomic, functional, and metabolic adaptations of Enterobacter bugandensis, a bacterium notorious for causing hospital-acquired infections.
• Genomic Adaptations: One of the pivotal findings from the study underscored the role of stress-induced genomic adaptations in bolstering the pathogen’s resistance to antimicrobial treatments.
• ISS Challenges: With microgravity, heightened carbon dioxide levels, and increased radiation as constant challenges, the ISS provides a distinctive setting for studying microbial dynamics.

Pathogens

• About: It is an organism that induces disease in its host, with the intensity of symptoms termed as virulence.
• Taxonomy: Pathogens encompass a broad taxonomic range, including viruses, bacteria, unicellular, and multicellular eukaryotes.
• Impact on Living Organisms: Pathogens affect all living organisms, including bacteria, which are preyed upon by specialized viruses known as phages.