Mars mission latest: Scientists give major boost to Red Planet colony

Study leader Doctor Erica Hartmann, of Northwestern University in the United States, said: “There has been a lot of speculation about radiation, microgravity and the lack of ventilation and how that might affect living organisms, including bacteria.

“These are stressful, harsh conditions. Does the environment select for superbugs because they have an advantage? The answer appears to be ‘no.'”

Study first author Dr Ryan Blaustein, a postdoctoral fellow in Hartmann’s lab, said: “Based on genomic analysis, it looks like bacteria are adapting to live, not evolving to cause disease.

“We didn’t see anything special about antibiotic resistance or virulence in the space station’s bacteria.”