Microbial Tracking-2 (SpaceX-13)
Microbial Tracking-2 is the first Space Biology human related investigation that seeks to catalog and characterize potential disease-causing microorganisms aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Crew samples from pre-flight, in-flight, and post-flight times in addition to environmental samples from ISS surface and air locations will be collected to analyze any associations between the samples, as well as potential health effects.
The study will use a combination of traditional culture-based and a newer, more comprehensive molecular analysis to first identify and then analyze the disease-causing potential of microbes and viruses. Using a combination of methods allows for a more comprehensive analysis of the diversity and the disease-causing potential of pathogens aboard the ISS. The information can then be used to determine the risks of the microorganisms to the health of the crew.
Findings from the Microbial Tracking-2 study will provide NASA with tools to estimate crew health and spacecraft performance risks stemming from microbial growth onboard a crewed space vehicle. NASA is also interested in developing ways to minimize the hazards from microorganisms during long-duration crewed missions and pathogens in particular that could impact the health of the crew and jeopardize the integrity of the mission. Data from this investigation will be made available to the scientific community through an open-access database developed by NASA called GeneLab.
Project manager: Elizabeth Pane, NASA Ames Research Center
Mission scientist: Fathi Karouia, Ph.D., FILMSS, NASA Ames Research Center
Principal investigator: Crystal Jaing, Ph.D., Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Co-investigator: Satish Mehta, Ph.D., Wyle Laboratories, Inc., NASA Johnson Space Center
Co-investigator: Duane L. Pierson, Ph.D., NASA Johnson Space Center
Co-investigator: David Smith, Ph.D., NASA Ames Research Center
Co-investigator: Kasthuri Venkateswaran, Ph.D., NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
More Information:
See the Microbial Tracking-1 mission webpage
What’s Growing on the Space Station’s Walls? Observing How Microbes Adapt in a Spaceflight Environment
