Insights into the Microbial Diversity and Bioburden in a South American Spacecraft Assembly Clean Room

Astrobiology ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 1140-1154 ◽  
Author(s):  
Petra Schwendner ◽  
Christine Moissl-Eichinger ◽  
Simon Barczyk ◽  
Maria Bohmeier ◽  
Rüdiger Pukall ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Diversity ◽  
South American ◽  
Clean Room ◽  
Spacecraft Assembly

scholarly journals Diversity of Anaerobic Microbes in Spacecraft Assembly Clean Rooms

2010 ◽  
Vol 76 (9) ◽  
pp. 2837-2845 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Probst ◽  
Parag Vaishampayan ◽  
Shariff Osman ◽  
Christine Moissl-Eichinger ◽  
Gary L. Andersen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
16S Rrna ◽  
16S Rrna Gene ◽  
Microbial Diversity ◽  
Anaerobic Bacteria ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Molecular Techniques ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
Clean Room ◽  
Planetary Protection ◽  
Spacecraft Assembly

ABSTRACT Although the cultivable and noncultivable microbial diversity of spacecraft assembly clean rooms has been previously documented using conventional and state-of-the-art molecular techniques, the occurrence of obligate anaerobes within these clean rooms is still uncertain. Therefore, anaerobic bacterial communities of three clean-room facilities were analyzed during assembly of the Mars Science Laboratory rover. Anaerobic bacteria were cultured on several media, and DNA was extracted from suitable anaerobic enrichments and examined with conventional 16S rRNA gene clone library, as well as high-density phylogenetic 16S rRNA gene microarray (PhyloChip) technologies. The culture-dependent analyses predominantly showed the presence of clostridial and propionibacterial strains. The 16S rRNA gene sequences retrieved from clone libraries revealed distinct microbial populations associated with each clean-room facility, clustered exclusively within gram-positive organisms. PhyloChip analysis detected a greater microbial diversity, spanning many phyla of bacteria, and provided a deeper insight into the microbial community structure of the clean-room facilities. This study presents an integrated approach for assessing the anaerobic microbial population within clean-room facilities, using both molecular and cultivation-based analyses. The results reveal that highly diverse anaerobic bacterial populations persist in the clean rooms even after the imposition of rigorous maintenance programs and will pose a challenge to planetary protection implementation activities.

Description of Tersicoccus phoenicis gen. nov., sp. nov. isolated from spacecraft assembly clean room environments

2013 ◽  
Vol 63 (Pt_7) ◽  
pp. 2463-2471 ◽  
Author(s):  
Parag Vaishampayan ◽  
Christine Moissl-Eichinger ◽  
Rüdiger Pukall ◽  
Peter Schumann ◽  
Cathrin Spröer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Type Species ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
New Taxon ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Clean Room ◽  
Polar Lipid Profile ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Link Type ◽  
Unique Cell ◽  
Spacecraft Assembly

Two strains of aerobic, non-motile, Gram-reaction-positive cocci were independently isolated from geographically distinct spacecraft assembly clean room facilities (Kennedy Space Center, Florida, USA and Centre Spatial Guyanais, Kourou, French Guiana). A polyphasic study was carried out to delineate the taxonomic identity of these two isolates (1P05MAT and KO_PS43). The 16S rRNA gene sequences exhibited a high similarity when compared to each other (100 %) and lower than 96.7 % relatedness with Arthrobacter crystallopoietes ATCC 15481T, Arthrobacter luteolus ATCC BAA-272T, Arthrobacter tumbae DSM 16406T and Arthrobacter subterraneus DSM 17585T. In contrast with previously described Arthrobacter species, the novel isolates maintained their coccidal morphology throughout their growth and did not exhibit the rod–coccus life cycle typically observed in nearly all Arthrobacter species, except A. agilis . The distinct taxonomic identity of the novel isolates was confirmed based on their unique cell-wall peptidoglycan type (A.11.20; Lys-Ser-Ala2) and polar lipid profile (presence of phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylinositol, an unknown phospholipid and two unknown glycolipids). The G+C content of the genomic DNA was 70.6 mol%. The novel strains revealed MK-9(H2) and MK-8(H2) as dominant menaquinones and exhibited fatty acid profiles consisting of major amounts of anteiso-C15 : 0 and anteiso-C17 : 0 and moderate amounts of iso-C15 : 0 discriminating them again from closely related Arthrobacter species. Based on these observations, the authors propose that strains 1P05MAT and KO_PS43 be assigned into a separate genus Tersicoccus gen. nov. For this new taxon, comprising strains 1P05MAT and KO_PS43, we propose the name Tersicoccus phoenicis gen. nov., sp. nov. (the type species of Tersicoccus), represented by the type strain Tersicoccus phoenicis 1P05MAT ( = NRRL B-59547T = DSM 30849T).

scholarly journals DNA Metabarcoding Reveals Cryptic Geographically-influenced Microbial Diversity After Anthropogenic Impact in Original Forest Soils on the Isolated Trindade Island, South Atlantic

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paulo Saraiva Camara ◽  
Fabio Bones ◽  
Fabyano Lopes ◽  
Fabio Oliveira ◽  
Cristine Barreto ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Diversity ◽  
Forest Soils ◽  
High Throughput Sequencing ◽  
Sequence Data ◽  
Anthropogenic Impacts ◽  
South Atlantic ◽  
South American ◽  
The South ◽  
Trindade Island ◽  
Feral Animals

Abstract Located 1,140 km from the South American coastline in the South Atlantic Ocean, and with an age of 4 million years, Trindade Island is the most recent volcanic component of Brazilian territory. Its vegetation was severely damaged by human influence in particular through the introduction of exotic grazing animals such as goats. However, since the complete eradication of goats and other feral animals in the late 1990s, the island’s vegetation has been recovering and even some endemic species that had been considered extinct have been rediscovered. In this study we set out to characterize the contemporary microbial diversity of Trindade Island forest soils using metabarcoding by High Throughput Sequencing (HTS). Sequences of representative of two domains (Bacteria and Archaea) and five kingdoms (Fungi, Metazoa, Protozoa, Chromista and Viridiplantae) were identified. Bacteria were represented by 20 phyla and 116 taxa, while and Archaea by only one taxon. Fungi were represented by seven phyla and 250 taxa, Viridiplantae by five phyla and six taxa, Protozoa by five phyla and six taxa, Metazoa by three phyla and four taxa and Chromista by two phyla and two taxa. Even after the considerable anthropogenic impacts and devastation of the island’s natural forest, our sequence data revealed the presence of a rich, diverse and complex diversity of microorganisms, invertebrates and plants.

scholarly journals Molecular Microbial Diversity of a Spacecraft Assembly Facility

2001 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 311-320 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kasthuri Venkateswaran ◽  
Masataka Satomi ◽  
Shirley Chung ◽  
Roger Kern ◽  
Robert Koukol ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Diversity ◽  
Spacecraft Assembly

Detection of Fungi from Low-Biomass Spacecraft Assembly Clean Room Aerosols

Astrobiology ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (12) ◽  
pp. 1585-1593 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ying Zhang ◽  
Cong-Xin Xin ◽  
Lan-Tao Zhang ◽  
Yu-Lin Deng ◽  
Xiang Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Clean Room ◽  
Spacecraft Assembly

Determination of the microbial diversity of spacecraft assembly, testing and launch facilities: First results of the ESA project MiDiv

2006 ◽  
Vol 38 (6) ◽  
pp. 1260-1265 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Rettberg ◽  
D. Fritze ◽  
S. Verbarg ◽  
J. Nellen ◽  
G. Horneck ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Diversity ◽  
First Results ◽  
Spacecraft Assembly

Impact of assembly, testing and launch operations on the airborne bacterial diversity within a spacecraft assembly facility clean-room

2008 ◽  
Vol 7 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 223-236 ◽  
Author(s):  
David A. Newcombe ◽  
Myron T. La Duc ◽  
Parag Vaishampayan ◽  
Kasthuri Venkateswaran
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Diversity ◽  
Traditional Culture ◽  
Atp Content ◽  
Clean Room ◽  
Air Samples ◽  
Facility Locations ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Mars Exploration Rovers ◽  
Rdna Clone ◽  
Firmicutes Phylum

AbstractIn an effort to minimize the probability of forward contamination of pristine extraterrestrial environments, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration requires that all US robotic spacecraft undergo assembly, testing and launch operations (ATLO) in controlled clean-room environments. This study examines the impact of ATLO activity on the microbial diversity and overall bioburden contained within the air of the clean-room facility in which the Mars Exploration Rovers (MERs) underwent final preparations for launch. Air samples were collected from several facility locations and traditional culture-based and molecular methodologies were used to measure microbial burden and diversity. Surprisingly, the greatest estimates of airborne bioburden, as derived from ATP content and cultivation assays, were observed prior to the commencement of MER ATLO activities. Furthermore, airborne microbial diversity gradually declined from the initiation of ATLO on through to launch. Proteobacterial sequences were common in 16S rDNA clone libraries. Conspicuously absent were members of the Firmicutes phylum, which includes the genusBacillus. In previous studies, species of this genus were repeatedly isolated from the surfaces of spacecraft and clean-room assembly facilities. Increased cleaning and maintenance initiated immediately prior to the start of ATLO activity could explain the observed declines in both airborne bioburden and microbial diversity.

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