ArticlePloS one2013
Spaceflight promotes biofilm formation by Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
Article in PloS one, 2013. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 95 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
95 citing papers in PubMed, 209 citations in OpenAlex.
- Comparison ofMicrobiology (Reading, England) · 2026Article
- Evaluating microbial community profiles of Chile peppers grown on the International Space Station provides implications for fruiting crops.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Biofilms: from the cradle of life to life support.NPJ biofilms and microbiomes · 2026Review
- Review
- Community matters: stress tolerance and survival ofFrontiers in microbiology · 2026Article
- Bacterial resistance across habitats: from German schools to the International Space Station.Frontiers in microbiology · 2026Article
- Microbial fuel cell centric nutrient rebalancing and recycling from human waste in space missions.Emerging topics in life sciences · 2025Review
- Touching Surfaces - Presence of microorganisms on antimicrobial metal surfaces on the International Space Station and in German schools.BMC microbiology · 2025Article
- Role of GuaB, the inosine-5'-monophosphate dehydrogenase of uropathogenicMicrobiology spectrum · 2025Article
- Microfluidics unveils role of gravity and shear stress on Pseudomonas fluorescens motility and biofilm growth.NPJ biofilms and microbiomes · 2025Article
- Development and flight-testing of modular autonomous cultivation systems for biological plastics upcycling aboard the ISS.NPJ microgravity · 2025Article
- Simulated microgravity triggers a membrane adaptation to stress in E. coli REL606.BMC microbiology · 2025Article
- Article
- Simulated microgravity induces time-dependent enhancement ofCurrent research in microbial sciences · 2025Article
- Systematic screening of 42 vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium strains for resistance, biofilm, and desiccation in simulated microgravity.NPJ microgravity · 2024Article
- Article
- Cultivation in long-term simulated microgravity is detrimental to pyocyanin production and subsequent biofilm formation ability ofMicrobiology spectrum · 2024Article
- Microbiology of human spaceflight: microbial responses to mechanical forces that impact health and habitat sustainability.Microbiology and molecular biology reviews : MMBR · 2024Review
- Brief Communication: Confocal microscopy of oral streptococcal biofilms grown in simulated microgravity using a random positioning machine.NPJ microgravity · 2024Article
- Space biofilms - An overview of the morphology ofBiofilm · 2024Article
35 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
11 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Understanding the effects of spaceflight on microbial communities is crucial for the success of long-term, manned space missions. Surface-associated bacterial communities, known as biofilms, were abundant on the Mir space station and continue to be a challenge on the International Space Station. The health and safety hazards linked to the development of biofilms are of particular concern due to the suppression of immune function observed during spaceflight. While planktonic cultures of microbes have indicated that spaceflight can lead to increases in growth and virulence, the effects of spaceflight on biofilm development and physiology remain unclear. To address this issue, Pseudomonas aeruginosa was cultured during two Space Shuttle Atlantis missions: STS-132 and STS-135, and the biofilms formed during spaceflight were characterized. Spaceflight was observed to increase the number of viable cells, biofilm biomass, and thickness relative to normal gravity controls. Moreover, the biofilms formed during spaceflight exhibited a column-and-canopy structure that has not been observed on Earth. The increase in the amount of biofilms and the formation of the novel architecture during spaceflight were observed to be independent of carbon source and phosphate concentrations in the media. However, flagella-driven motility was shown to be essential for the formation of this biofilm architecture during spaceflight. These findings represent the first evidence that spaceflight affects community-level behaviors of bacteria and highlight the importance of understanding how both harmful and beneficial human-microbe interactions may be altered during spaceflight.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.