![]() ![]() Investigators expect to see similar behavior by the microbes in the BioRock investigation. In general, biofilms increase, grow thicker and show particular shapes and structures in microgravity. Scientists know very little about how microgravity affects microbe and mineral interactions, but previous research demonstrates that the attachment of microbes to surfaces, or formation of biofilms, occurs differently in space. "We're studying three types of microbes, giving us the first comparison between behaviors of different microbes in the space environment," said principal investigator Charles Cockell, professor at the UK Centre for Astrobiology, University of Edinburgh. The study, BioRock, also is the first test of extraterrestrial biomining and the first use of a prototype miniature mining reactor in space. However, microbes and rocks interact differently outside of Earth's gravity, potentially affecting output from extraterrestrial biomining.Ī new investigation on the International Space Station represents the first study of how microbes grow on and alter planetary rocks in microgravity and simulated Martian gravity. This approach is called in-situ resource utilization. As humans plan expeditions to places such as the Moon and Mars, biomining offers a way to obtain needed materials on other planetary bodies rather than bringing them from Earth. ![]()
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