One would think that astronauts’ living quarters in space need to be perfectly sterilized, but it turns out that creating a "dirtier" environment with more microbes from Earth may boost their health.
New research has shown that the International Space Station (ISS) is overly sterile, and while this may not sound like an issue, it carries some surprising consequences; the sterile nature of the station has led to a low diversity of microbes, which could be what is causing astronauts to develop health complications like immune dysfunction, skin rashes, and other inflammatory conditions while in space.
A study recently published in the journal Cell analyzed samples that were collected by astronauts, finding inadequate microbial diversity compared to human-occupied environments on Earth. Introducing environmental microbes from Earth into the ISS, the study suggests, may help stave off health problems that are often experienced by the astronauts living there.
