To study microgravity’s effect on bacterial antibiotic resistance, scientists are set to send E. coli, a common bacterial pathogen linked to urinary tract infections and foodborne illnesses, to the International Space Station (ISS).
The E. coli AntiMicrobial Satellite (EcAMSat) mission was scheduled to launch on Orbital ATK’s Cygnus cargo spacecraft on Saturday along with a slew of other science experiments and supplies for the Expedition 53 crew. However, the launch was postponed.
Antibiotic resistance could pose a danger to astronauts, especially since microgravity has been shown to weaken human immune response, NASA said.
The mission will investigate spaceflight effects on bacterial antibiotic resistance and its genetic basis.
It aims to determine “the lowest dose of antibiotic needed to inhibit growth of Escherichia coli (E. coli), a bacterial pathogen that causes infections in humans and animals,” NASA wrote in a description of the experiment.
“Results from this investigation could contribute to determining appropriate antibiotic dosages to protect astronaut health during long-duration human spaceflight and help us understand how antibiotic effectiveness may change as a function of stress on Earth,” NASA said in a statement.