Overview
- Parallel infections on the International Space Station and on Earth showed an initial delay in phage activity in microgravity before T7 phages eventually propagated and reduced E. coli populations.
- Whole-genome sequencing revealed distinct mutation patterns in both the T7 phage and E. coli in space compared with ground controls.
- Deep mutational scanning identified microgravity-associated changes in the phage receptor binding protein that affect how the virus recognizes and binds host cells.
- Follow-up experiments under normal gravity linked these receptor variants to increased activity against some T7-resistant, drug-resistant E. coli strains that cause urinary tract infections.
- Led by University of Wisconsin–Madison with Rhodium Scientific, the peer-reviewed study in PLOS Biology points to space-driven selection as a potential guide for engineering improved therapeutic phages.