Bacillus pumilus SAFR-032, an endospore-forming bacterial strain, was investigated to determine its methylation pattern (methylome) change, compared to ground control, after direct exposure to space conditions onboard the International Space Station (ISS) for 1.5 years. The resulting ISS-flown and non-flown strains were sequenced using the Nanopore MinION and an in-house method and pipeline to identify methylated positions in the genome. Our analysis indicated genomic variants and m6A methylation increased in the ISS-flown SAFR-032. To complement the broader omics investigation and explore phenotypic changes, ISS-flown and non-flown strains were compared in a series of laboratory-based chamber experiments using an X-ray irradiation source (doses applied at 250, 500, 750, 1000 and 1250 Gy); results show a potentially higher survival fraction of ISS-flown DS2 at the two highest exposures. Taken together, results from this study document lasting changes to the genome by methylation, potentially triggered by conditions in spaceflight, with functional consequences for the resistance of bacteria to stressors expected on long-duration missions beyond low Earth orbit.

By investigating the survival and the biomarker detectability of a rock-inhabiting cyanobacterium, Chroococcidiopsis sp. CCMEE 029, the BIOMEX space experiment might contribute to a future exploitation of the Moon as a test-bed for key astrobiology tasks such as the testing of life-detection technologies and the study of life in space. Post-flight analyses demonstrated that the mixing of dried cells with sandstone and a lunar regolith simulant provided protection against space UV radiation. During the space exposure, dried cells not mixed with minerals were killed by 2.05 × 102 kJ m−2 of UV radiation, while cells mixed with sandstone or lunar regolith survived 1.59 × 102 and 1.79 × 102 kJ m−2, respectively. No differences in survival occurred among cells mixed and not mixed with minerals and exposed to space conditions in the dark; this finding suggests that space vacuum and 0.5 Gy of ionizing radiation did not impair the cells’ presence in space. The genomic DNA of dead cells was severely damaged but still detectable with PCR amplification of a short target, thus suggesting that short sequences should be targeted in a PCR-based approach when searching for traces of life. The enhanced stability of genomic DNA of dried cells mixed with minerals and exposed to space indicates that DNA might still be detectable after prolonged periods, possibly up to millions of years in microbes shielded by minerals. Overall, the BIOMEX results contribute to future experiments regarding the exposure of cells and their biomarkers to deep space conditions in order to further test the lithopanspermia hypothesis, the biomarker stability and the microbial endurance, with implications for planetary protection and to determine if the Moon has been contaminated during past human missions.

We present the innovative soft X-ray spectro-polarimeter, SolpeX. This instrument consists of three functionally independent blocks. They are to be included into the Russian instrument KORTES, to be mounted onboard the ISS. The three SolpeX units are: a simple pin-hole X-ray spectral imager, a polarimeter, and a fast-rotating drum multiple-flat-crystal Bragg spectrometer. Such a combination of measuring blocks will offer a new opportunity to reliably measure possible X-ray polarization and spectra of solar flares, in particular during the impulsive phase. Polarized Bremsstrahlung and line emission due to the presence of directed particle beams will be detected, and measurements of the velocities of evaporated hot plasma will be made. In this paper we discuss the details of the construction of the SolpeX units. The delivery of KORTES with SolpeX to the ISS is expected to happen in 2017/2018.

Careful examination of the present metabolism and in vitro selection of various catalytic RNAs strongly support the RNA world hypothesis as a crucial step of the origins and early life evolution. Small functional RNAs were exposed from 10 March 2009 to 21 January 2011 to space conditions on board the International Space Station in the EXPOSE-R mission. The aim of this study was to investigate the preservation or modification properties such as integrity of RNAs after space exposition. The exposition to the solar radiation has a strong degradation effect on the size distribution of RNA. Moreover, the comparison between the in-flight samples, exposed to the Sun and not exposed, indicates that the solar radiation degrades RNA bases.

On Earth, microorganisms living under intense ultraviolet (UV) radiation stress can adopt endolithic lifestyles, growing within cracks and pore spaces in rocks. Intense UV irradiation encountered by microbes leads to death and significant damage to biomolecules, which also severely diminishes the likelihood of detecting signatures of life. Here we show that porous rocks shocked by asteroid or comet impacts provide protection for phototrophs and their biomolecules during 22 months of UV radiation exposure outside the International Space Station. The UV spectrum used approximated the high-UV flux on the surface of planets lacking ozone shields such as the early Earth. These data provide a demonstration that endolithic habitats can provide a refugium from the worst-case UV radiation environments on young planets and an empirical refutation of the idea that early intense UV radiation fluxes would have prevented phototrophs without the ability to form microbial mats or produce UV protective pigments from colonizing the surface of early landmasses.

The aim of the paper is to present the time profile of cosmic radiation exposure obtained by the radiation risks radiometer-dosimeter (R3DR) during the ESA exposition facility for EXPOSE-R mission (EXPOSE-R) in the EXPOSE-R facility outside the Russian Zvezda module of the International Space Station (ISS). Another aim is to make the obtained results available to other EXPOSE-R teams for use in their data analysis. R3DR is a low mass and small dimensions automated device, which measures solar radiation in four channels and in addition cosmic ionizing radiation. The main results of cosmic ionizing radiation measurements are: three different radiation sources were detected and quantified: galactic cosmic rays (GCR), energetic protons from the inner radiation belt (IRB) in the region of the South Atlantic anomaly and energetic electrons from the outer radiation belt (ORB). The highest daily averaged absorbed dose rate of 506 μGy day−1 came from IRB protons; GCR delivered much smaller daily absorbed dose rates of 81.4 μGy day−1 on average, and ORB source delivered on average a dose rate of 89 μGy day−1. The IRB and ORB daily averaged absorbed dose rates were higher than those observed during the ESA exposition facility for EXPOSE-E mission (EXPOSE-E), whereas the GCR rate was smaller than that measured during the EXPOSE-E mission. The reason for this difference is much less surrounding constructions shielding of the R3DR instrument in comparison with the R3DE instrument.

In the past two decades, there has been a growing theoretical and empirical interest on the role of shame, namely internal shame, on the conceptualization of human functioning and several interpersonal and emotional problems. The current study explores the psychometric properties of the Portuguese version of the Internalized Shame Scale (ISS), a self-report measure which assesses trait shame, composed by an Internal Shame subscale, measuring internalized shame, and a Self-Esteem subscale. The factor structure, internal consistency, test-retest reliability and convergent and discriminant validity for both subscales, are presented, in a sample of 385 college students. The Principal Components Analyses reveal that both Internal Shame and Self-Esteem subscales present a one-dimensional structure which explains, respectively, 48.54% and 57.7% of the variance. The subscales present high internal consistency, with high Cronbach'alphas (.95 and .85) and moderate to high item-total correlations. The two subscales present an excellent temporal stability. Convergent and discriminant validity of the subscales was corroborated through the moderate correlations with a measure of shame and of social comparison, and through the low and moderate correlations with the subscales depression, anxiety, and stress. The Portuguese version of the ISS is a valid and reliable instrument to measure internalized shame.

The Regenerative Enclosed Life Support Module Simulator (REMS) was designed to simulate the conditions aboard the International Space Station (ISS). This unique terrestrial, encapsulated environment for humans and their associated organisms allowed investigations into the microbial communities within an enclosed habitat system, primarily with respect to diversity, phylogeny and the possible impact on human health. To assess time- and/or condition-dependent changes in microbial diversity within REMS, a total of 27 air samples were collected during three consecutive months. The microbial burden and diversity were elucidated using culture-dependent and culture-independent molecular methods. The results indicate that during controlled conditions the total microbial burden detected by culture-dependent techniques (below a detectable level to 102 cells m−3 of air) and intracellular ATP assay was significantly low (102–103 cells m−3 of air), but increased during the uncontrolled post-operation phase (∼104 cells m−3 of air). Only Gram-positive and α-proteobacteria grew under tested culture conditions, with a predominant occurrence of Methylobacterium radiotolerans, and Sphingomonas yanoikuyae. Direct DNA extraction and 16S rDNA sequencing methodology revealed a broader diversity of microbes present in the REMS air (51 species). Unlike culture-dependent analysis, both Gram-positive and proteobacteria were equally represented, while members of a few proteobaterial groups dominated (Rhodopseudomonas, Sphingomonas, Acidovorax, Ralstonia, Acinetobacter, Pseudomonas, and Psychrobacter). Although the presence of several opportunistic pathogens warrants further investigation, the results demonstrated that routine maintenance such as controlling the humidity, crew’s daily cleaning, and air filtration were effective in reducing the microbial burden in the REMS.