Survival of microorganisms during two-year exposure in outer space near the ISS.

Results of an experiment named "Test" on survival and variability of microorganisms in open space near the International Space Station are presented. It was found after two-years exposure, spore-forming bacteria of the species Bacillus subtilis, fungi of the species Aureobasidium pullulans and archaea of the species Methanosarcina mazei S-6, deposited on cotton wool, are able to survive, and their numbers decreased equally, regardless of whether the microorganisms belong to different taxonomic groups. The main factors for the long-term survival could be the result of their dehydration and partial lyophilization in the vacuum of near-Earth space.

The DNA of Bacteria of the World Ocean and the Earth in Cosmic Dust at the International Space Station.

Cosmic dust samples from the surface of the illuminator of the International Space Station (ISS) were collected by a crew member during his spacewalk. The sampler with tampon in a vacuum container was delivered to the Earth. Washouts from the tampon's material and the tampon itself were analyzed for the presence of bacterial DNA by the method of nested PCR with primers specific to DNA of the genus , DNA of the strains of capsular bacteria , and DNA encoding 16S ribosomal RNA.