Is this project an undergraduate, graduate, or faculty project?
Undergraduate
Project Type
group
Campus
Daytona Beach
Authors' Class Standing
Tyler Jenkins, Junior Marina Vaden, Junior
Lead Presenter's Name
Tyler Jenkins
Lead Presenter's College
DB College of Arts and Sciences
Faculty Mentor Name
Dr. Hugo Castillo
Abstract
Bacteria grow in complex natural environments with multiple factors affecting their growth, metabolism, and physiology. While astronauts are still preparing to travel to Mars, scientists must learn how to simulate a more realistic Martian environment. While a small volume of publications investigates the independent effects of microgravity or Martian regolith on microorganisms (Liao et al., 2025; Allen et al., 2022; Naz et al., 2023; Duri et al., 2025), to our knowledge no current experiments exist on the joint effects of microgravity and Martian simulant on a co-culture. This experiment aims to investigate the effect of a microgravity analog on the dynamics of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus epidermidis, two species of bacteria relevant to the human skin microbiome, by observing antibiotic resistance, colony formation, and changes in biofilm development. Microgravity has the potential to disrupt physiological interactions occurring between these species, which can lead to changes in antibiotic resistance and biofilm structure (Naz et al., 2023; Duri et al., 2025; Topolski et al., 2022). It is hypothesized that the effect of simulated microgravity alters the antibiotic resistance and biofilm formation of E. coli and S. epidermidis when in co-culture.
Did this research project receive funding support (Spark, SURF, Research Abroad, Student Internal Grants, Collaborative, Climbing, or Ignite Grants) from the Office of Undergraduate Research?
No
Included in
Immunology of Infectious Disease Commons, Organismal Biological Physiology Commons, Pathogenic Microbiology Commons
Observing antibiotic resistance in bacterial co-cultures under simulated microgravity
Bacteria grow in complex natural environments with multiple factors affecting their growth, metabolism, and physiology. While astronauts are still preparing to travel to Mars, scientists must learn how to simulate a more realistic Martian environment. While a small volume of publications investigates the independent effects of microgravity or Martian regolith on microorganisms (Liao et al., 2025; Allen et al., 2022; Naz et al., 2023; Duri et al., 2025), to our knowledge no current experiments exist on the joint effects of microgravity and Martian simulant on a co-culture. This experiment aims to investigate the effect of a microgravity analog on the dynamics of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus epidermidis, two species of bacteria relevant to the human skin microbiome, by observing antibiotic resistance, colony formation, and changes in biofilm development. Microgravity has the potential to disrupt physiological interactions occurring between these species, which can lead to changes in antibiotic resistance and biofilm structure (Naz et al., 2023; Duri et al., 2025; Topolski et al., 2022). It is hypothesized that the effect of simulated microgravity alters the antibiotic resistance and biofilm formation of E. coli and S. epidermidis when in co-culture.