Overview
- University of Wisconsin–Madison researchers directly compared T7 phage infecting E. coli on Earth and aboard the International Space Station.
- Phage infection in space showed an initial delay, consistent with altered fluid mixing and reduced encounter rates under microgravity.
- Whole-genome sequencing found that both the phages and the bacteria evolved mutations in space that differed markedly from Earth controls.
- Deep mutational scanning pinpointed microgravity-associated changes in the T7 receptor binding protein that shifted host targeting.
- ISS-derived variants demonstrated increased activity against T7-resistant, UTI-causing E. coli in Earth experiments, with the PLOS Biology paper presenting this as a proof-of-concept for biosafety monitoring and phage engineering.