Long-range space missions will become a reality in the future, due to this, it is important for scientists to find a solution to protect astronauts from a variety of pathogenic microorganisms that undergo physiological and phenotypical changes in microgravity [1]. In this work, the effect of microgravity on the resistance of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Candida lusitaniae to chemical and physical agents was measured by comparing cells grown under normal gravity and simulated microgravity.
The study attempted to evaluate chemical and physical factors such as resistance to formic and acetic acids, antifungal compounds, namely amphotericin B and nystatin dihydrate, and electric shock. Microgravity was simulated using a rotary cell culture system, chemical resistance was assessed using the microplate dilution method, and the cells were exposed to an electric shock by a pulsed electric field generator.
The obtained results did not show a significant difference between S. cerevisiae cells grown under normal gravity and microgravity treated with organic acids, antifungal compounds, and electric shock. C. lusitaniae cells grown in microgravity showed a 16.2-fold increase in resistance to electric shock, but there was no difference between the minimal inhibitory concentration values.
To conclude, yeast cells grown in microgravity can be differently effected by physical agents. For better understanding of microgravity's effects, it is important to carry out more studies with different types of cells and prolonged exposure to microgravity.