Microbial Dynamics Across Commercial Spaceflights of Varying Duration

Abstract

Spaceflight introduces environmental stressors that can alter human microbiomes and immune responses. We analyzed 259 and 17 biospecimens for microbiome and single-cell studies from n=6 astronauts across two commercial ISS missions: Axiom 2 (10-day mission) and Axiom 3 (21-day mission). Samples included saliva, stool, urine, and body swabs from 10 anatomical sites, profiled via 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene amplicon sequencing. Gut and oral microbiomes remained stable, while skin-associated communities exhibited transient diversity shifts post-flight. Taxonomic analysis revealed individual and site-specific patterns, as well as from the spaceflight/ISS environment. Cytokine profiling from single-cell data indicated immune activation, with IL-32 and IL-16 transcripts elevated in Axiom 2 and Axiom 3. Microbiome and interleukin correlation analyses found 14 significant associations in Axiom 2 data. These findings provide an integrated view of microbiome individuality. Our study represents a descriptive comparison of two missions, informing strategies for crew health on future long-duration missions.

Microbial diversity, safety, and quality challenges of several commercial plant-based meat products in Thailand
Wilawan Suathong, Yutthachai Ruangchaisirawet, Yves Waché +2
Food Bioscience19 Oct 2026Peer-reviewedLicence not stated3 citedGeneral biology NutritionHAL
Improving beef quality through rumen microbial modulation by varying alfalfa hay proportions in the diet
Boshuai Liu, Yujie Zheng, Zimin Gao +6
Frontiers in microbiology16 Oct 2026Peer-reviewedCC BYFull textMicrobiologyEurope PMC
Differential Effects of Rotatable Non-Host Crop Cultivation Duration on Physicochemical and Microbial Properties of Monocropping Soil
Xianfu Yuan, Dan Wang, Xueli Zhang +1
Plants (Basel, Switzerland)30 Sep 2026Peer-reviewedCC BYFull textPlant biologyEurope PMC
Interactive effects of moisture level, lactic acid bacteria, and ensiling duration on fermentation and microbial communities in barnyard millet silage
Seung Min Jeong, Ilavenil Soundharrajan, Ouk Kyu Han +2
Scientific Reports15 Oct 2026Peer-reviewedCC BY-NC-ND 4.0Full textPlant biologyCrossref
Past flow intermittence duration influences microbial and invertebrate community structure and ecological processes after flow resumption
Philippine Morlot, Vincent Felten, David Gocel-Chalté +9
Ecological Indicators28 Oct 2026Peer-reviewedCC BY-NC-ND 4.0Full textEcology MicrobiologyHAL

Cite

BibTeX RIS

BibTeX

@misc{krishnavajhala2026microbial,
  title = {{Microbial Dynamics Across Commercial Spaceflights of Varying Duration}},
  author = {A. Krishnavajhala and M.-C. Gingras and T. Santiago-Rodriguez and Y. Chen and D. Bandaranaike and S. Bhamidipati and Q. Xiang and K. Kottapalli and Z. Momin and A. Santhanam and K. Walker and Q. Wang and S. M. Griffin and M. M. Masternak and M. C. Ross and D. Muzny and J. Wu and E. Urquieta and R. Gibbs and H. doddapaneni},
  howpublished = {bioRxiv},
  year = {2026},
  month = may,
  doi = {10.64898/2026.05.29.728784},
  url = {https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.05.29.728784v2},
  note = {CC BY-NC},
}

RIS

TY  - UNPB
TI  - Microbial Dynamics Across Commercial Spaceflights of Varying Duration
AU  - A. Krishnavajhala
AU  - M.-C. Gingras
AU  - T. Santiago-Rodriguez
AU  - Y. Chen
AU  - D. Bandaranaike
AU  - S. Bhamidipati
AU  - Q. Xiang
AU  - K. Kottapalli
AU  - Z. Momin
AU  - A. Santhanam
AU  - K. Walker
AU  - Q. Wang
AU  - S. M. Griffin
AU  - M. M. Masternak
AU  - M. C. Ross
AU  - D. Muzny
AU  - J. Wu
AU  - E. Urquieta
AU  - R. Gibbs
AU  - H. doddapaneni
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/05/29
PB  - bioRxiv
DO  - 10.64898/2026.05.29.728784
UR  - https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.05.29.728784v2
AB  - Spaceflight introduces environmental stressors that can alter human microbiomes and immune responses. We analyzed 259 and 17 biospecimens for microbiome and single-cell studies from n=6 astronauts across two commercial ISS missions: Axiom 2 (10-day mission) and Axiom 3 (21-day mission). Samples included saliva, stool, urine, and body swabs from 10 anatomical sites, profiled via 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene amplicon sequencing. Gut and oral microbiomes remained stable, while skin-associated communities exhibited transient diversity shifts post-flight. Taxonomic analysis revealed individual and site-specific patterns, as well as from the spaceflight/ISS environment. Cytokine profiling from single-cell data indicated immune activation, with IL-32 and IL-16 transcripts elevated in Axiom 2 and Axiom 3. Microbiome and interleukin correlation analyses found 14 significant associations in Axiom 2 data. These findings provide an integrated view of microbiome individuality. Our study represents a descriptive comparison of two missions, informing strategies for crew health on future long-duration missions.
ER  -

Abstract

Related

Cite