Agnirva Space Premier League - Expedition #31694: Bacteria Beyond Earth: Tracking Bacillus Subtilis Growth in Space

Bacteria play vital roles in ecosystems—from soil nutrient cycling to human digestion. But how do they behave in space? This was the focus of a student experiment aboard the ISS, where Valley Christian High School students studied Bacillus subtilis in a microgravity environment during Expeditions 29/30.

Bacillus subtilis is a hardy, rod-shaped bacterium often used in laboratory research due to its resistance to environmental stress. The students wanted to see if the lack of gravity would alter its growth rate, shape, or gene expression. Using NanoRacks technology, they sent samples of the bacteria to the ISS and compared their growth to Earth-based controls.

In microgravity, the cells exhibited variations in growth patterns and sometimes formed different colonies than those on Earth. These observations could help researchers understand how bacteria adapt to space conditions—knowledge critical for long-term space missions where microbial management becomes essential for astronaut health.

Understanding bacterial behavior in space could also pave the way for advanced biotechnology applications aboard space stations or future Mars colonies. This student-led experiment proved that even microorganisms can be the stars of space science.

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