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横堀 伸一*; 藤崎 健太*; 河口 優子*; Yang, Y.*; 伏見 英彦*; 橋本 博文*; 山下 雅道*; 矢野 創*; 奥平 恭子*; 林 宣宏*; et al.
no journal, ,
ISS-JEM「きぼう」曝露部での微生物の採集/宇宙空間への直接曝露実験を計画している(プロジェクト名「たんぽぽ」)。そこでは、微生物を直接採取することを目指すとともに、1から5年以上、微生物を宇宙空間に曝露し、その生存可能性を検証することを計画している。また、その際には、粘土鉱物による微生物の保護効果も検証する予定である。そのため、上記の宇宙曝露実験を行うにあたり、重粒子線の微生物生存に与える効果と、粘土鉱物の重粒子線に対する遮蔽効果を現在検討した。また、種々の紫外線/放射線耐性の高い微生物を実験対象とすることで、重粒子線耐性がそれらの耐性の高さと相関するのかなどについても検討した。微生物培養液を単独又は粘土鉱物と混合して乾燥したサンプルに、室温で、Ar線,He線,C線の照射を行った。これらの重粒子線を照射した微生物サンプルと非照射の対照サンプルについて、コロニー計数法等により、生存率を求めた。さらに、粘土鉱物(合成スクメタイトの一種ルーセンタイトを使用)の有無による生存率の違いについて検証を行った。その結果、粘土鉱物がAr線及びC線から微生物を遮蔽し、保護する働きをすることが示唆された。すなわち、微生物が宇宙空間に単独で存在せず、粘土鉱物内部の間隙などに存在するのなら、重粒子線の影響が軽減されることを示唆する。
横堀 伸一*; Yang, Y.*; 杉野 朋弘*; 河口 優子*; 板橋 志保*; 藤崎 健太*; 伏見 英彦*; 長谷川 直*; 橋本 博文*; 林 宣宏*; et al.
no journal, ,
We isolated two novel species of the genus 
, one from top of troposphere (
) and the other from bottom of stratosphere (
). Can these newly isolated bacterial species and strains survive harsher environment such as space environment and/or other astronomical objects such as Mars? To address these questions, we have analyzed the survival of these microbial species and strains under the extreme conditions. Environment at high altitude is extreme for microorganisms not only because of high UV radiation, but also other stresses such as extreme dryness. To clarify how dryness affects to the survivability of microorganisms, we examined the effects of desiccation and high humidity on survival and DNA double strand breaks (DSB) of 
, 
and spores of 
. They exhibited different survival rates and DSB patterns under desiccation and high humidity. Higher survival and less DSB occurred at lower temperatures. Spores of 
showed the highest survivability at each condition. Survivability of at desiccation condition is higher than that at the humid condition, although survivability of 
at desiccation condition is lower than that at the humid condition. We also tested the effects of various factors on survivability of spp. Together with tests under desiccation condition, these test results suggested that spp. which we tested can survive in space for years.
横堀 伸一*; Yang, Y.*; 杉野 朋弘*; 河口 優子*; 伏見 英彦*; 鳴海 一成; 橋本 博文*; 林 宣宏*; 河合 秀幸*; 小林 憲正*; et al.
no journal, ,
To explain how organisms on the Earth were originated at the quite early stage of the history of Earth, Panspermia hypothesis was proposed. Recent findings of the Martian meteorite suggested possible existence of extraterrestrial life, and interplanetary migration of life as well. On the other hand, microbes have been collected from high altitude using balloons, aircraft and meteorological rockets since 1936, though it is not clear how could those microbes be ejected up to such high altitude. Spore forming fungi and Bacilli, and Deinococci have been isolated in these experiments. If microbes could be found present even at the higher altitude of low earth orbit (400 km), the fact would endorse the possible interplanetary migration of terrestrial life. We proposed the "Tanpopo" mission to examine possible interplanetary migration of microbes on Japan Experimental Module (JEM) of the International Space Station (ISS). In our proposal, microorganisms will be exposed to the space environment with/without model-clay materials that might protect microorganisms from vacuum UV and cosmic rays. Spore of 
sp., and vegetative cells of 
and our novel deinococcal species isolated from high altitude are candidates for the exposure experiment. In preliminary experiments, clay-materials tend to increase survivability of microorganisms under irradiation of heavy ion beam and other radiation. In this paper, we discuss current status of exposure experiment of microorganisms defined for the Tanpopo mission.