| ■ Germs Become More Lethal After Space Travel | 2007.10.01 |
| After they were sent into space, germs that cause food poisoning returned to Earth stronger and more lethal, according to a U.S. study in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. For this experiment, researchers sent salmonella into orbit aboard a space shuttle. After the germs had been returned to Earth, they were given to mice. The mice that received the space germs were three times more likely to get sick and died quicker than mice given an identical strain of Earth-bound salmonella, the Associated Press reported. After 25 days, 10 percent of the mice given the space germs were still alive, compared with 40 percent of mice given conventional salmonella. When they analyzed the salmonella that went to space, the researchers found that there had been changes in 167 genes. The researchers said the germs sensed the new space environment and made the genetic changes in order to survive, the AP reported. |