00:00It sounds like a sci-fi horror plot, but SpaceX just launched diarrhea-causing bacteria into space, on purpose.
00:07On August 1, Crew 11 blasted off to the International Space Station, carrying astronauts from NASA, Japan, and Russia,
00:15and a secret passenger, some of the worst bacteria you can imagine.
00:19We're talking about E. coli and two types of Salmonella,
00:23the same bacteria behind countless stomach illnesses and food poisonings every year.
00:28But don't worry. This isn't a space disaster waiting to happen.
00:32These bugs are part of a cutting-edge experiment to study how bacteria behave in zero gravity.
00:37Led by Shiba Medical Center and Space Tango, scientists want to see how space affects things like growth, gene expression,
00:45and most importantly, antibiotic resistance.
00:48That's right. In space, bacteria might become even more dangerous.
00:52And by comparing their behavior up there to samples on Earth,
00:55scientists hope to unlock new ways to fight disease right here at home.
00:59Once the bacteria have done their thing, they'll be frozen and sent back for deep molecular analysis.
01:04What they find could change how we fight infections on Earth,
01:07and maybe even help keep future astronauts alive on deep space missions.
01:11Until then, we're going to stay in the middle of this industry.
Comments