Astronaut Don Pettit processes bacteria samples

iss072e310952 (Dec. 3, 2024) --- NASA astronaut and Expedition 72 Flight Engineer Don Pettit processes bacteria samples in the Kibo laboratory module's Life Science Glove to understand why some pathogens are more potent in the microgravity environment. Those samples were also packed inside the SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft for return and analysis back on Earth. The space biology investigation uses genetic analysis techniques to identify the antibiotic resistant organisms and help researchers protect crew health on long-term space missions.