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Here is some news that is sure to bring a smile on our faces, new bacteria was discovered and named Solibacillus kalamii. 

What is so fascinating you may ask. Well… It is named after our beloved Late President Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam.

Discovery:

The bacteria was discovered by the team of Researchers at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) of NASA.

JPL Director

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory is a unique national research facility that carries out robotic space and Earth science missions.

To this day, this new organism has been found only on the HEPA – high-efficiency particulate arrestance filter system of the International Space Station (ISS).

The bacteria was isolated from the HEPA filters and upon characterization was named Solibacillus kalamii by Dr. Venkateswaran and his team.

Dr. Venkateswaran cites that being a fellow Tamilian he found this the right opportunity to honour Dr. Kalam who was an aerospace scientist.

Dr. Kalam & NASA:

Dr. Kalam had his early training at NASA between 1963-1964, before he set up India’s first rocket-launching facility in the fishing village of Thumba in Kerala.

“The name of the bacterium is Solibacillus kalamii, the species name is after Dr. Abdul Kalam and genus name is Solibacillus which is a spore-forming bacteria,” said Dr. Kasthuri Venkateswaran

, senior research scientist, Biotechnology and Planetary Protection Group at JPL.

Extraterrestrial?

This discovery has now thrown up questions on whether this organism is an other worldly being? Is this a sign of definitive life in space?

Dr. Kasthuri believes that though this bacteria has not been found on earth till date, it is not extra-terrestrial either. He believes that this organism just managed to survive the hostile conditions of space and quite possibly was picked up by some cargo and made it’s way to the space station.

Now what?

Though a complete characterization has not been done of the bacteria. Dr. Kasthuri and his team believe that the organism could be a source for some chemicals which can be possibly used for the benefit of science.

 

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1 COMMENT

  1. amazing! quite exciting discovery with lots of scope. !

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