Space Biofilms 1

jsc2020e003406 (10/28/2019) --- A preflight view of a Commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) 24-Well plate in fungal configuration. Each well contains a 1 cm2 coupon inoculated with fungal spores. Seven different materials were included for testing. The Characterization of Biofilm Formation, Growth, and Gene Expression on Different Materials and Environmental Conditions in Microgravity (Space Biofilms) investigation characterizes the mass, thickness, structure, and associated gene expression of biofilms that form in space by analyzing different microbial species grown on different materials. Biofilm formation can cause equipment malfunction and human illnesses, and could be a serious problem on future long-term human space missions.