Viruses and bacteria evolve differently in space compared to Earth, according to a study based on experiments conducted aboard the International Space Station.
The research shows that microgravity can significantly alter how viruses infect bacteria and how both organisms adapt over time.
The study, led by researcher Phil Huss and reported by Science Daily, examined interactions between T7 bacteriophages, which are viruses that infect E. coli bacteria.
Identical experiments were carried out on the ISS and on Earth to compare how the infections progressed in the two environments. Scientists observed that the pattern and timing of infection in microgravity differed markedly from those seen under Earth’s gravity.
Researchers found that microgravity influenced the physical interactions between viruses and their bacterial hosts. Genome sequencing revealed that both the viruses and bacteria developed distinct genetic mutations in space compared to Earth.
In the space environment, viruses evolved changes that improved their ability to attach to bacterial cells, while bacteria developed mutations that may help them survive infection and adapt to microgravity conditions.
The team also used deep mutational scanning to study changes in the virus receptor-binding protein, which plays a key role in attaching to bacteria. Some of these changes were linked to interactions with drug-resistant strains of E. coli.
Scientists said this finding suggests that studying virus evolution in space could offer insights relevant to phage therapy research on Earth.