If humanity is ever going to branch out into the cosmos, there needs to be a specific motivation for it. Some positive thinkers believe that our natural curiosity alone is enough to drive us. However, looking back at the past, the search for profit is usually what pushes people to find new territories. It makes sense, then, that we need a commercial incentive before we start settling off-world in earnest.
A recent study from Srivatsan Raman’s team at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, appearing in PLOS Biology, outlines a possible financial opportunity: tweaking bacteriophages to fight bacteria that drugs can’t kill.
A Pharmaceutical Lab… Up There
The concept of utilizing the tough conditions of space to test genetic changes has been around for a while. But this report marks one of the rare occasions where it has actually been shown to work.
Back in September 2020, the initial trial went up with support from Rhodium Scientific, a biotechnology firm that assists with research aboard the International Space Station. They used custom-made freezing tubes built to stop any spillage and keep the contents at a steady -80℃ while the rocket ascended.
Another layer of pressure to these viruses
The primary cause was likely the microgravity itself, since that environment prevents convection—the natural movement of fluids caused by temperature or pressure differences. The viruses had to rely on diffusion to drift toward their prey, which is a significantly slower process. However, the targets they were hunting were not exactly sitting idle, either.
The E. coli bacteria involved in the study were under a massive amount of stress in space. The same stillness that hindered the viruses also caused waste to pile up immediately around the bacterial cells. Furthermore, nutrients that would typically be carried to them by fluid currents were difficult to access. To cope with these conditions, the bacteria evolved their own set of mutations.
To be precise, the bacteria altered the mlaA gene, which usually manages moving phospholipids to the inner side of the membrane. In the space environment, a mutation in this gene forced those lipids to flip out to the surface. Because the virus attacks the bacteria right at that surface level, the predator had to come up with a fresh strategy.
Back on Earth, the viruses that came out on top showed standard adaptations, such as acquiring positively charged tips to stick to the negatively charged bacteria. In orbit, though, the victorious phages developed hydrophobic swaps within the protein they use to bind to the host. The researchers believe this likely made the tail fibers either more flexible or more robust, allowing them to latch onto the unusual bacterial skins that had exposed their lipids to the outside.
A Way to Fight Off Antibiotic Resistance
What’s really interesting is that when these mutated viruses returned to Earth, they turned out to be excellent at destroying the bacteria causing urinary tract infections, which are incredibly common globally and famously hard to treat with antibiotics. It is worth mentioning that the versions left on Earth failed to take down these antibiotic-resistant superbugs.
Even though it sounds strange, the scientists think the harsh conditions bacteria face inside the human urinary tract—like chemical pressure and a lack of food—actually resemble the environment the space bacteria had to endure. Because of this, the germs developed similar defenses, making them vulnerable to the exact attack strategy the space viruses had perfected.
A Future for Bio-Space Commerce?
Finding a method to run a bioreactor in orbit that breeds superphages capable of destroying drug-resistant bacteria on our planet could create a market worth billions. However, we are just at the starting line, and a significant amount of effort is needed before a system like that becomes a reality.
Time will tell if this turns out to be the breakthrough application that finally makes the commercial space industry viable. At the very least, it provides a fascinating look at how the battle between these ancient rivals shifts depending on the setting. With any luck, we will eventually be able to harness those adaptations to help a vast number of people.