ArticleNPJ microgravity2026
Microbial biomining from asteroidal material onboard the international space station.
Article in NPJ microgravity, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
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.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed.
- Bioleaching of critical trace metals byFrontiers in microbiology · 2026Article
- Integrating resource utilization and bioregenerative life support systems for sustainable space exploration.Frontiers in microbiology · 2026Review
- Cross-species comparison of ultramafic rock bio-accelerated weathering performance.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Bioleaching as a biotechnological tool for metal recovery: from sewage to space mining.Frontiers in bioengineering and biotechnology · 2025Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
17 authors.
Funding
Abstract
Expanding human space exploration necessitates technologies for sustainable local resource acquisition, to overcome unviable resupply missions. Asteroids, some of which rich in metals like platinum group elements, are promising targets. The BioAsteroid experiment aboard the International Space Station tested the use of microorganisms (bacteria and fungi) to extract 44 elements from L-chondrite asteroidal material under microgravity. Penicillium simplicissimum enhanced the release of palladium, platinum and other elements in microgravity, compared to non-biological leaching. For many elements, non-biological leaching was more effective in microgravity than on Earth, while bioleaching remained stable. Metabolomic analysis revealed distinct changes in microbial metabolism in space, particularly for P. simplicissimum, with increased production of carboxylic acids, and molecules of potential biomining or pharmaceutical interest in microgravity. These results demonstrate the impact of microgravity on bioleaching, highlighting the need for optimal combination of microorganisms, rock substrate, and conditions for successful biomining, in space and Earth.
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
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.