ITHACA, N.Y. — Microorganisms that live on and in our bodies, surfaces and food could be critical companions in deep-space exploration, according to a collaborative study by Cornell University and the University of Edinburgh. Researchers studied how microbes extract platinum-group elements from a meteorite in microgravity aboard the International Space Station.

They found that “biomining” fungi are particularly adept at extracting palladium, while removing the fungus had a negative effect on nonbiological leaching in microgravity.

“This is probably the first experiment of its kind on the International Space Station on meteorite,” said Rosa Santomartino, assistant professor of biological and environmental engineering in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

“We wanted to keep the approach tailored in a way, but also general to increase its impact. These are two completely different species, and they will extract different things. So we wanted to understand how and what, but keep the results relevant for a broader perspective, because not much is known about the mechanisms that influence microbial behavior in space.”

NASA astronaut Michael Scott Hopkins performed the ISS experiment to test microgravity, while the researchers conducted a control version in the lab to test terrestrial gravity and compare results with the space data. Santomartino and Stirpe analyzed the data, which comprised 44 different elements, of which 18 were biologically extracted.

The analysis revealed distinct changes in microbial metabolism in space, particularly for the fungus, which increased production of many molecules, including carboxylic acids, and enhanced the release of palladium, as well as platinum and other elements.