Community matters: stress tolerance and survival of

Introduction: Conventional microbiological methods typically examine isolated bacterial species, which limits the insight into how microorganisms behave in more realistic, complex ecosystems. In contrast, synthetic bacterial consortia offer a practical and ecologically meaningful model for studying species interactions and responses to stress. These interspecies dynamics, both cooperative and competitive, can significantly influence the survival and physiology of individual species, revealing patterns that single-species tests often miss. Exploring microbial resilience under stress is vital for advancing space microbiology and ensuring the functionality of enclosed environments like the International Space Station (ISS) and in the future in spacecraft traveling to the Moon or Mars. Methods: To assess the stress tolerance of bacterial species within a consortium, a synthetic bacterial consortium was constructed using species representative of the spacecraft microbiome, including genera such as Results: The stress tolerance of Discussion: Our findings underscore the importance of considering community-level interactions when evaluating bacterial stress tolerance. Synthetic bacterial consortia represent a valuable approach to bridging the gap between reductionist and systems-level microbiology, offering critical insights for both terrestrial biotechnology and the advancement of space exploration.