On the International Space Station (ISS), astronauts and their cargo introduce bioaerosols to the atmospheric microbiome, including airborne bacteria, fungi, and viruses. Microbial monitoring of the ISS atmosphere is critical for sustaining human spaceflight. Currently, astronauts use microbial air sampling, a culture-based technique to monitor the ISS cabin air every three months, but this method is slow and microbial identification requires returning samples to Earth. Culture-independent microbial monitoring methods enable real-time microbial profiling of ISS surfaces and hold promise for atmospheric monitoring.
Download this article from Bertin Technologies to discover how the Coriolis Compact air sampler provides efficient atmospheric microbial monitoring for near real-time assessment of spacecraft air.
