China's Tiangong space station orbits Earth. (Photo courtesy of China Manned Space Agency)
Researchers have discovered a new microbe on China's Tiangong space station that has never been seen on Earth before.
The new strain of bacteria, named Niallia tiangongensis after the space station, is a type of soil-dwelling terrestrial microbe that can cause sepsis. It was found inside one of the station's cabins.
Subsequent analysis of the strain revealed that the bacteria was not only unique, but had also acquired several key adaptations that could prove useful in future space missions. The scientists published their findings March 3 in the International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology.
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