While sequencing technologies have revolutionized our knowledge of microbial diversity, little is known about the dynamic emergent phenotypes that arise within the context of mixed-species populations, which are not fully predicted using sequencing technologies alone. The International Space Station (ISS) is an isolated, closed human habitat that can be harnessed for cross-sectional and longitudinal functional microbiome studies. Using NASA-archived microbial isolates collected from the ISS potable water system over several years, we profiled five phenotypes: antibiotic resistance, metabolism, hemolysis, and biofilm structure/composition of individual or multispecies communities, which represent characteristics that could negatively impact astronaut health and life-support systems. Data revealed a temporal dependence on interactive behaviors, suggesting possible microbial adaptation over time within the ecosystem. This study represents one of the most extensive phenotypic characterization of ISS potable water microbiota with implications for microbial risk assessments of water systems in built environments in space and on Earth.

虽然测序技术彻底改变了我们对微生物多样性的认识，但人们对混合物种种群背景下出现的动态涌现表型知之甚少，仅使用测序技术无法完全预测这些表型。国际空间站 (ISS) 是一个孤立、封闭的人类栖息地，可用于横断面和纵向功能微生物组研究。利用美国宇航局存档的多年来从国际空间站饮用水系统收集的微生物分离物，我们分析了五种表型：抗生素耐药性、新陈代谢、溶血和个体或多物种群落的生物膜结构/组成，这些特征代表了可能对宇航员健康和健康产生负面影响的特征。生命支持系统。数据揭示了交互行为的时间依赖性，表明生态系统内微生物可能随着时间的推移而适应。这项研究代表了国际空间站饮用水微生物群最广泛的表型特征之一，对太空和地球建筑环境中水系统的微生物风险评估具有重要意义。