JSC Microbiology Lab Monitors Microbial Risks to Crew and Spacecraft

Spaceflight creates health risks from interactions among microorganisms, crew, and the spacecraft environment, and NASA's JSC Microbiology team works to manage those risks and benefits. The laboratory addresses infectious disease, allergens, environmental and food contamination, and shifts in microbial ecology aboard spacecraft through operational monitoring and investigative research.

The team includes certified medical technologists, environmental microbiologists, mycologists, and biosafety professionals and is a core part of the Human Health and Performance Directorate. Scientists use classical microbiology, advanced molecular methods and immunohistochemical techniques, and have published findings in journals including Infection and Immunity, Journal of Infectious Disease, Applied and Environmental Microbiology, Nature Reviews Microbiology, and Proceedings of the National Academies of Science.

As part of the Crew Health Care System and in support of Environmental Control and Life Support Systems engineers, the lab defines sampling requirements, coordinates and analyzes air, surface and water samples, and re‑analyzes preflight and in‑flight samples to protect crew health and system performance.

Key Topics

Science, Jsc Microbiology, Nasa, Illumina Miseq, Oxford Nanopore, Space Analogue Bioreactors