Bacteria: from our intestine to Mars

Go to Mars will be an impossible mission if bacteria can not be used to produce the food needed by the astronauts, and to recycle detritus. In addition, each of the astronauts will take 2 kilos of bacteria in his digestive, the intestinal flora that any human needs to survive. We fly from intestinal Crohn’s disease to the Melissa project of the European Space Agency and the UAB, who wants to recreate a basic terrestrial ecosystem in miniature.

Escherichia coli is a bacteria that we have in the digestive tract and is perfectly harmless. There are other strains of this bacteria typical of some animals that can be pathogenic for us and cause anything from mild diarrhea to death. But, without bacteria, no life would be possible on the planet, nor men could travel to Mars. Chapter entitled “History of E. coli and other bacteria” a version of “Bacteria: from our intestine to Mars”, issued on 21/06/2011.