Persistence of Fungi in Atypical, Closed Environments: Cultivation to Omics

Abstract

Filamentous fungi are dual organisms that can be both useful for mankind and threatening to human habitats and health. These omnipresent extremotolerant microorganisms are associated with a range of hostile environments and the human body. Immense adaptability to a variety of conditions enables fungi residing on people to thrive anywhere they go, including man-made closed habitats. One such habitat is the International Space Station (ISS), which is a research platform under strict microbiological scrutiny. Over time microbial monitoring of the ISS has shifted from cultivation to state-of-the-art molecular techniques. Such in-depth analyses have facilitated the identification of a myriad of fungal isolates and their associated molecular phenotypes following adaptation to the unique space environment. As space-faring nations are preparing for the era of long-term manned missions to explore outer space, it is imperative to understand physiological changes of fungi coexisting with humans in closed habitats.