SCIENTISTS DISCOVER SOME BACTERIA CAN SHAPESHIFT IN SPACE TO BECOME MORE RESISTANT TO ANTIBIOTICS

Scientists discover some bacteria can SHAPESHIFT in space to become more resistant to antibiotics.

'We knew bacteria behave differently in space and that it takes higher concentrations of antibiotics to kill them,' said BioServe Research Associate Luis Zea, lead study author.

'What's new is that we conducted a systematic analysis of the changing physical appearance of the bacteria during the experiments.'
The team designed an experiment to culture common E. coli bacteria on the ISS and treat it to see how it responded.

They administered seven different variations of the antibiotic gentamicin sulfate, which kills them on Earth.

But rather than being killed off by the drugs, the bacteria responded with a 13-fold increase in cell numbers and a 73 percent reduction in cell volume size.

The cell envelope - which contains the cell wall and outer membrane - became thicker, too.
Similarly to how, in space, E. coli grows in clumps as a defense tactic, Zea believes the cell membrane grew to protect the bacteria from the drug.