ISSN: 0973-7510

E-ISSN: 2581-690X

Research Article | Open Access
Hanan I. Malkawi1 , Almuthana K. Alkaraki1, Amneh Alrabee1,
Hamzeh J. Al-Ameer2, Mohamed Kayyali3, Alaa A. A. Aljabali4
and Mohammad R. Rayyan3
1Department of Biological Sciences, Yarmouk University 21163 Irbid, Jordan.
2Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Allied Medical Sciences, Al-Ahliyya Amman University, Amman, 19328, Jordan.
3KSF Space, 304 S. Jones Blvd #2747, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States.
4Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Yarmouk University, Irbid 21163, Jordan.
Article Number: 10269 | © The Author(s). 2025
J Pure Appl Microbiol. 2025;19(2):1239-1258. https://doi.org/10.22207/JPAM.19.2.27
Received: 26 January 2025 | Accepted: 24 March 2025 | Published online: 23 May 2025
Issue online: June 2025
Abstract

Microorganisms exhibit remarkable phenotypic plasticity in extreme environments, including the stratosphere. This domain poses significant challenges such as almost zero gravity and a pronounced deviation from the typical physical forces experienced by living cells. Studies have highlighted the resilience of terrestrial microorganisms, particularly bacteria, in conditions resembling outer space, exploring how bacteria acclimate to the harsh environment of the Earth’s stratosphere, marked by dryness, cryogenic temperatures, intense UV radiation, low pressure, and microgravity. This study encompasses various aspects of bacterial biology, including growth, morphology, physiology, and genetic profiles, to uncover the mechanisms behind their adaptation to microgravity. This exploration provides insights into the physiological adaptation of humans to space. This study involved exposing bacterial cells to microgravity conditions at an altitude of 33 km above Earth, achieved through a sealed container space capsule launched from a space balloon. This study highlights the capacity of terrestrial bacterial strains to thrive and adapt to such extraordinary conditions.

Keywords

Outer Space, Microgravity, Bacteria, Growth, Adaptation, Stratosphere

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© The Author(s) 2025. Open Access. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License which permits unrestricted use, sharing, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made.