--- title: "Mysterious Bacteria Not Found on Earth Are Growing on China’s Space Station" description: "Samples taken from China's Tiangong space station contained a new, mysterious microbe that hasn't been seen on Earth, researchers say." date: "2025-05-20" modified: "2025-05-20" authors: - name: "Maggie Harrison Dupré" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/mharrison" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/bacteria-china-space-station" categories: - "Bacteria" - "Health & Medicine" - "Medical" - "Off-World" - "Pathogens" - "Space" tags: - "china" - "space station" - "the digest" - "Tiangong" --- # Mysterious Bacteria Not Found on Earth Are Growing on China’s Space Station ![Samples taken from China's Tiangong space station contained a new, mysterious microbe that doesn't exist on Earth, researchers say.]() *\Image: Getty / Futurism\* ## New Cousins Samples taken from China's Tiangong space station contained a new, mysterious microbe that hasn't been seen on Earth, a [recent paper]() published in the *International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology* revealed. The microbe, named *Niallia tiangongensis —* it was named after the space station — is a never-before-seen strain of an earthborne bacteria specially adapted to off-planet life. According to the research, which was conducted by a team of scientists from the Shenzhou Space Biotechnology Group and the Beijing Institute of Spacecraft System Engineering, the new microbe has evolved to withstand oxidative stress and heal from radiation damage. It can also, [as *Science Alert* points out](), use gelatin as a source of nitrogen and carbon to build itself a protective shield against environmental stressors. It's unclear whether the bacteria pose any threat to astronauts onboard the space station, and their related strains are generally considered unpathogenic. Though, as *Science Alert* notes, one of its Earthly cousins is known to cause sepsis in immunocompromised patients. But if the microbe could stand to cause any harm, its recovery and analysis could help researchers on Earth better equip spacefarers to stay healthy, safe, and protected during their trips beyond our atmosphere. "Understanding the characteristics of microbes during long-term space missions is essential for safeguarding the health of astronauts and maintaining the functionality of spacecraft," the researchers wrote in the paper. ## Orbital Microbes The new species is a cousin of the [rod-shaped, spore-forming bacterium]() *Niallia circulans*, commonly found in soil and sewage. The samples studied by Chinese researchers were first collected back in 2023 by the crew of the Shenzhou-15 mission, whose research contributions also include [playing ping-pong in space](). This isn't the first time that space-adapted microbes have been discovered aboard humanity's space stations. Last year, for instance, a [NASA study revealed that]() researchers from its esteemed Jet Propulsion Lab had found that specimens of the drug-resistant bacteria *Enterobacter bugandensis* had [mutated into never-before-seen alien strains](), which were adapted not only to help themselves better withstand conditions of space, but had even evolved to help *other* microbial life do the same. "Any microorganisms introduced to these areas," NASA said in a [press release]() at the time, "must adapt to thrive." **More on spacefaring bacteria:** [*Mutant Bacteria Discovered Aboard International Space Station*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've reported extensively on the rise of AI as a cultural and business force shaping the media industry, and more broadly how those dynamics are changing how we all consume and share information and relate to one another. I'm also fascinated by public health policy and ethics, the role of emerging tech in politics and governance — and the powerful people and forces at those intersections — climate change, and the environment. My investigation on Sports Illustrated's use of AI-generated authors with fictional biographies won a 2024 Mirror Award for "Best Story on Media Coverage of Artificial Intelligence in Journalism and the Media" from Syracuse University's SI Newhouse School, I contributed to Niemen Lab's 2025 Predictions for Journalism series, and I've discussed my work for Futurism during appearances on NPR, CNN, the BBC, the CBC, and more. I grew up in rural Pennsylvania and attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where I played Division I field hockey for the Minutewomen as a midfielder. Since then, I've lived in New Orleans, Louisiana and Manhattan, New York. I spend my free time running, reading, perusing archival fashion, and searching for the world’s best negroni. I also have a debonair tuxedo cat, Westley, who's named after "The Princess Bride." ### Author social links [Bluesky]()