Three lifeforms ‘unknown to science’ discovered INSIDE the ISS by astronauts

THREE entirely new lifeforms have been discovered at different locations onboard the International Space Station.

A team of US and Indian scientists studied four strains of bacteria found on the orbiting lab, and say that three were previously unknown to science.

Their discovery could help future astronauts grow food on missions into deep space, researchers wrote in the journal Frontiers in Microbiology.

Three of the strains were collected by astronauts in 2015 and 2016.

One was in an overhead panel in a research lab, the second in the station’s Cupola viewing deck, and the third on the crew’s dining table.

The fourth strain was captured from an old cabin air filter that was returned to Earth ten years ago.

Working with Nasa, researchers from the University of Southern California identified that the bacteria belonged to the family Methylobacteriaceae.

They’ve opted to name the new species Methylobacterium ajmalii in honour of renowned Indian biodiversity scientist Dr Ajmal Khan.

The tiny organisms all belong to a “good” family of bacteria found in soil and freshwater here on Earth.

They’re are involved in nitrogen fixation processes, plant growth, and in fighting plant pathogens.

It means they were almost certainly carried up to the station from Earth aboard one of the dozens of spacecraft that travel there every year.

It’s thought that the strains could lend a hand in developing crops that can grow in space.

Nasa’s Dr Kasthuri Venkateswaran and Dr Nitin Kumar Singh said that the bacteria may possess DNA that’s useful for extra-terrestrial farming.

By isolating these genes and investigating them, scientists could narrow down their search for plants that can survive for long periods on spacecraft.

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