A Longitudinal, Taxonomical Analysis of the Microbiome and Spatial Mapping of the Dynamics of Genera of Interest Reveals Pathogenic Spread Throughout Confined Living Quarters

Résumé

Space travel requires extensive research on its impacts on the astronaut microbiome and subsequent health. In this study, we explore the microbial profile of surfaces over time in an isolated, confined, and extreme (ICE) environment, which is an analog for real space stations. We used a dataset from a year-long Mars simulation mission from the Hawaii Space Exploration Analog and Simulation IV (HI-SEAS IV) mission, which contains 16S sequencing data generated from inanimate object sampling within the facility. We performed longitudinal analysis for alpha and beta diversity, taxonomic and differential abundance, and mapped out spatial representations to visualize bacterial travel. We found that beta diversity, taxonomy, and differential abundance differed between locations over time. Furthermore, we found evidence of contamination from pathogenic bacteria which showed ease in traversing the station over time. Our results suggest inconsistencies within the sanitary and disinfectant procedures of the HI-SEAS IV mission and emphasize the need for updated procedures and further examination into the viability of the HI-SEAS IV mission as an analog space station.