- Hello Jeff - This is amazing. As if we don't have
enough potent bacteria and viruses, mutating and otherwise, on Earth, we
now bring them into space and grow them in microgravity to 'see what happens.'
-
- It appears that the hope is the space-grown Strep will
be more potent. This objective leaves nothing to the imagination, the
goal is obviously a more potent bioweapon. I am sure the University
of Texas staff are gleeful to have their new bio toy.
-
- Patty
-
- Astronauts Bring Space-Grown Germs Home
- By Lucy Sherriff
- The Register - UK
- 8-23-7
-
- The crew of the space shuttle Endeavour has arrived back
on Earth safe and sound, but not alone. The astronauts have brought a raging
case of strep with them.
-
- Well, not so much a case, as sealed containers of space
grown Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria. The cargo is being shipped to
the University of Texas' microbiology and immunology department for analysis.
-
- Department chairman David Niesel was on the runway when
the shuttle touched down, ready to take possession of the bacteria.
-
- Niesel and his colleagues want to try to work out how
the bacteria change in microgravity, and determine whether or not the bacteria
could pose a threat to a crew on a long space flight.
-
- Streptococcus pneumoniae is known as an opportunistic
bacterium: that is to say that most of the time it is harmless, but will
readily exploit a host's weakness and trigger a full-blown disease.
-
- "Strep pneumoniae is a very potent pathogen in people
who are immunosuppressed - it's the number-one cause of community-acquired
pneumonia, and a leading mediator of bacteremia [bacterial blood infections]
and meningitis," Niesel said.
-
- "There's a decline in people's immune function the
longer they're in the space environment, and it's been shown that other
bacteria also alter their properties in microgravity - they grow faster,
they tend to be more virulent and resistant to microbial treatment."
-
- The crew carried one of two sets of bacterial cultures
with them to the international space station. Another sample was kept on
Earth. Both sets of bacteria were exposed to exactly the same conditions,
except for the microgravity, Niesel said, with the timings of changes to
the bacteria's environments synchronised to the minute.
-
- "Now we have two snapshots of the bacteria frozen
in time, grown with the same parameters except the microgravity part, and
we should be able to see the differences that result when the bacteria
see this unique space environment."
-
-
- http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/08/23/space_bugs/
-
-
- Patricia A. Doyle DVM, PhD
- Bus Admin, Tropical Agricultural Economics
- Univ of West Indies
-
- Please visit my "Emerging Diseases" message
board at:
- http://www.emergingdisease.org/phpbb/index.php
- Also my new website:
- http://drpdoyle.tripod.com/
- Zhan le Devlesa tai sastimasa
- Go with God and in Good Health
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