The International Space Station: an Extreme Environment for Key Host-Microbe Discoveries: Microgravity encountered during spaceflight helps to determine how various forces influence microbes as they interact with hosts and environments

Abstract

Experiments aboard the space station that test how microorganisms function in microgravity add to our understanding of how microorganisms behave in extreme environments. By reducing gravity, which has been a constant force throughout evolution, and exposing microbes to radiation in space, we can improve our understanding of microorganisms on Earth.