Washington: For the first time, fungi will be sent to the International Space Station (ISS) in search for novel medicines to be used both in space and on Earth, scientists, including one of Indian-origin, say. Certain types of fungi produce very important molecules called secondary metabolites that are not essential for their growth or reproduction but can be used to make beneficial pharmaceuticals.
Examples of secondary metabolites include the antibiotic penicillin and the cholesterol-lowering drug lovastatin. Researchers at the University of Southern California (USC) and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in US said they will be the first team in the world to launch fungi to the ISS.
The stressful environment of the ISS could trigger changes in physiological responses (such as gene expression) and metabolism of a well-studied fungus called Aspergillus nidulans, said Clay Wang, a professor at USC.
“The high-radiation, microgravity environment in space could prompt Aspergillus nidulans to produce molecules it doesn't create in Earth's less stressful conditions,” said Wang, who heads the USC-JPL collaborative study.
