Bacteria on the space station are evolving for life in space

Bacteria on board the International Space Station (ISS) have evolved new traits in order to survive in low Earth orbit, and some show signs of increased virulence.

Microbes from Earth have made their way to the station via human hosts and the regular delivery of equipment and supplies.

NASA has been monitoring the ISS’s microbiome for a decade to understand how microbes survive in space conditions and what threat they might pose to astronauts’…