Christopher E. Carr, assistant professor in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences and the School of Aerospace Engineering, reacted to the identification of niallia tiangongensis, a new variant of a terrestrial bacteria that was discovered in the Tiangong space station.

"This finding shows that there is a lot of microbial diversity yet to be discovered, and that space stations are excellent laboratories for studying how our human-built environments select for survival or persistence of different organisms. If we understand that better, we can reduce the risks on Earth in the built environment, such as reducing infections acquired in hospitals, schools or nursing homes. Even though this microbe is not likely to be a threat, we should continue studying microbes in space to ensure we understand and address any risks, because when we are far from home, our options will be much more limited. This will help us be successful in exploring the Moon and Mars."