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MISSEX: Microbial Gene exchange in the International Space Station
The MISSEX project has as aim to study the micro-organisms that are present in confined space ships or space stations.
The further study of bacterial genetics and activity under space conditions (including cosmic radiation and microgravity) is highly important for the early detection of changes in bacteria that could be of danger to the crew or could cause damage to materials.
Not only the bacteria itself are characterized, but special attention is given to their Mobile Genetic Elements (MGE) such as plasmids, transposons, bacteriophages and genomic islands, which may carry pathogenic or other genetic determinants that could jeopardize the health of the crew or affect hardware.
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