News

They were supposed to be some of the cleanest places on Earth — yet inside NASA's spacecraft assembly cleanrooms, scientists have discovered 26 previously unknown bacterial species, organisms that not only survived extreme sterilization protocols but also carry genetic traits that could help them endure the harsh conditions of space. Metagenomic analysis of more than 160 cleanroom samples collected between 2016 and 2018 showed that DNA from the newly identified species accounted for less than 0.1% of all reads. Genomic analysis revealed that many of the newly identified species carry genes associated with DNA repair, stress response, and resistance to radiation. References: 1 Tough microbes found in NASA cleanrooms hold clues to space survival and biotech – King Abdullah University of Science and Technology – May 13, 2025 2 Genomic insights into novel extremotolerant bacteria isolated from the NASA Phoenix mission spacecraft assembly cleanrooms – Schultz, J., Jamil, T., Sengupta, P. et al. – Springer Nature Link – May 12, 2025 – https://doi.org/10.1186/s40168-025-02082-1 – OPEN ACCESS