Fungi in space: Implications for astronaut health and planetary protection

Abstract

Aspergillus and Penicillium were the predominant fungal genera detected aboard the Russian Space Station (Mir) as well as the International Space Station (ISS), and fungal growth has been shown to promote biodegradation of spacecraft materials which might compromise life-support systems [1-2]. Moreover, as spore formers, filamentous fungiareathreattoastronauts’health,andtheirresistantsporesmayposeathreattoplanetaryprotection.This, together with their ability to form biofilms, makes monitoring and controlling fungal populations a challenge when it comes to meeting the medical and operation requirements for the current and future space missions [3-5]. The doctoral study work here presented focuses on i) understanding fungal growth and biofilm formation in the space environment, ii) searching for spaceflight-relevant antimicrobial surfaces; iii) assessing fungal radiation resistance, and iv) identifying the potential of these fungi in space biotechnology.