In a discovery that sounds straight out of science fiction, Chinese scientists have identified a never-before-seen strain of bacteria living and thriving aboard the Tiangong Space Station.
This feels like a story we've seen time and time again, and it never ends well for humanity.
The newly discovered bug, Niallia tiangongensis, was collected from the surface hardware of the China Space Station and has some seriously unusual traits, according to a report.
Taikonauts from the China Space Station Habitation Area Microbiome Program (CHAMP) captured the bacterium in 2023 using a surprisingly low-tech method—sterile wipes.
The frozen samples were then returned to Earth for analysis. The research was conducted by the Beijing Institute of Spacecraft System Engineering and published in the International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology.
So what makes this bug so fascinating?
For starters, it’s a mutated cousin of the earthly Niallia circulans, a bacterium found in soil, sewage, food, and even human stool.
But this space variant comes with several genetic upgrades. The paper explains that the strain “demonstrates a unique ability to hydrolyze gelatin suggesting that it can utilize gelatin as a substrate in nutrient-limited environments.”
Translation? This bacteria is built to survive - and feast - where few others can.
Even more impressive, the researchers found “structural and functional” differences in two of its key proteins that “may enhance” its ability to form biofilms, fend off oxidative stress, and repair radiation damage.
All of these traits make Niallia tiangongensis especially resilient in space, with scientists suggesting the mutations could be directly related to the harsh conditions onboard the space station.
“These unique formations,” the study stated, “likely mutations of the earthly bacteria developed in space, make Nialla tiangongensis incredibly resilient and adaptable to the space environment.”
The CHAMP program behind the discovery isn’t just about collecting weird space germs for fun - it’s part of a broader initiative tracking microbial dynamics in long-term space operations.
According to the South China Morning Post, the program also studies “active substances, genetic resources, and metabolic functions of microbes.”
Experts believe findings like these could be crucial for future space missions, particularly long-term manned flights, and may even offer breakthroughs for medicine and agriculture here on Earth.
And this isn't the first time space bugs have caused a stir.
A similar unsettling discovery was made last year aboard the International Space Station, when American astronauts identified a mutated, drug-resistant version of a common gut bacterium floating around.
That study sent shockwaves through the scientific community, especially with concerns about what future pathogens might look like in extraterrestrial environments.