Mikrobiologie an Bord von Raumfahrzeugen – Risiken und Herausforderungen für Langzeitmissionen

Das Immunsystem gehört zu den auf einem Raumflug mit am stärksten beeinträchtigten Systemen des menschlichen Körpers. Das mikrobielle Milieu eines Raumfahrzeugs besteht aus zahlreichen pathogenen Mikroorganismen sowie aus Arten mit biodestruktiven Eigenschaften, die Schäden an Materialien verursachen können. Unter Raumflugbedingungen wurde eine verstärkte mikrobielle Proliferation, eine erhöhte Virulenz und eine erhöhte Resistenz gegenüber Antibiotika beobachtet. Durch die Kombination einer komplexen Immunstörung mit einer veränderten endogenen mikrobiellen Flora und besonders resistenten und virulenten Bakterien muss von einem signifikanten Risiko für schwere Infektionen bei einem Langzeitraumflug ausgegangen werden.

The immune system is one of the most affected systems of the human body during space flight. The microbial environment of a spacecraft consists of numerous pathogenic microorganisms, as well as species with bio-destruc properties, which can cause material damage. During spaceflight conditions, enhanced microbial proliferation, increased virulence and increased resistance to antibiotics was observed. The combination of a complex immune dysfunction with an altered endogenous microbial flora and particularly resistant and virulent bacteria can be considered as a significant risk for infections during long-term space missions.

Key words

immune system - spaceflight - space microbiology

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