[Comparative evaluation of microorganisms biological characteristics isolated in the orbital complex "Mir" on different phases of its operation]. / Sravnitel'naia otsenka biologicheskikh svoistv mikroorganizmov, vydelennykh v orbital'nom komplekse "Mir" v razlichnye sroki ékspluatatsii.

Colonizing and bio-destructive activities and pathogenetic potential of microorganisms isolated from the MIR environment at different phases of its operations were tested and evaluated in comparison with standard "museum" cultures of analogous species. Comparison of bacterial and fungal species revealed certain cultural, biochemical, and morphological distinctions of the "flight" strains. However, to assess the character and the risk associated with peculiar evolution of microflora in long-term space missions, more careful investigations should be followed with the use of the strain genetic labeling and other modern techniques.

[Residential colonization of orbital complex "Mir" environment by penicillium chrysogenum and problem of ecological safety in long-term space flight]. / Rezidentnoe zaselenie sredy na orbital'nom komplekse "Mir" penicillium chrysogenum i problema ékologicheskoi bezopasnosti v dlitel'nom kosmicheskom polete.

Results of many years of the survey of highly specific evolution of quantitative and species composition of microflora of the MIR environment are reviewed. Analysis of the data enabled listing of microorganisms-declinous fungi with the ability of residential colonization of structural materials of the interior and equipment of habitable modules of the space station. Results of the studies of variability and level of similarity/affinity on the basis of DNA, polymorphism of strains isolated in space flight, convincingly confirmed this characteristic in the Penicillium chrysogenum cultures. In view of the common origin determined from the signs of genetic alliance, the P. chrysogenum strains isolated on MIR in 1995 can be considered descendants of the cultures found at the beginning of the MIR operation. This ecological expansion of P. chrysogenum in the space station environment gains in prominence due to the fact that representative of this particular species known for its active biodestructive nature were, as a rule, detected in the areas where structural materials of the SALYUT and MIR space stations incurred biological degradation.

[Microbiological aspects of the environment of deep sea habitats]. / Mikrobiologicheskie aspekty obitaemosti glubokovodnykh barokompleksov.

It is known that the hyperbaric environment facilitates selection of gram-negative microorganisms which acquire ecological predominance. From this point of view deep sea habitats can be regarded as a specific anthropotechnological niche for pathogenic microorganisms, particularly Pseudomonas aeruginosa A. aeruginosa colonization of the mucosa and skin of deep sea divers may result in infection manifestations which took place in chamber experiments when test subjects showed otitis externa and when virulent strains were isolated. It was demonstrated that the basic reservoir of P. aeruginosa was the water supply system. Hence, development of a reliable method for its disinfection should be of highest priority. One of the potential methods is SHF treatment. Another important approach is personal hygiene procedures preventing skin and mucosa contamination with potentially pathogenic microorganisms and procedures for increasing colonization resistance of divers with the aid of eubiotic therapy.

[Sensitivity of opportunistic-pathogenic microflora isolated from humans to antibiotics before and after a stay in a hermetically closed chamber]. / Antibiotikochuvstvitel'nost' uslovno-patogennoi mikroflory cheloveka do i posle prebyvaniia v germetichno-zamknutom pomeshchenii.

Antibiotic sensitivity of opportunistic microflora of men before and after exposure to an enclosed environment for as long as 2-8 to 96-175 days was investigated. It was found that after exposure the spectrum of opportunistic enterobacteria resistant to antibacterial drugs was enlarged. The results of serotyping of the isolated bacteria showed that one of the pathways that led to an increase in the number of antibiotic-resistant microorganisms was individual variations in the intestinal automicroflora which were characterized by a decrease in the amount of some species of enterobacteria and an increase in the amount of other species.

Preliminary results of Cytos 2 experiment.

Cytos 2 experiment, carried out during the French-Soviet manned flight (July 1982), has studied the antibiotics sensitivity of bacteria cultivated in vitro during the orbital flight. The results show an increase of the antibiotics resistance and a larger thickness of the cellular envelope for the inflight cells. The increase of antibiotics resistance can be related to a stimulating effect of space on the cell growth rate or to changes of the cellular envelope structure.

[Microfloral makeup of the feces of infants on various types of feeding]. / Sostav mikroflory fekalii u detei, hakhodiashchikhsia na razlichnykh vidakh vskarmlivaniia.

Dissimilarity in the fecal microflora of infants fed with breast milk and the ones receiving in the neonatal period the mixture "Malyutka" and experimental samples of the dry acidopilic mixture "Malyutka" because of their mothers' state of hypolactation. Features specific for intestinal biocenosis in the breast-nursed infants is the prevalence of bifidobacteria, low abundance of microorganisms accomplishing proteolysis and also a high percentage of colicinogenic cultures of colibacillus. In further preparations of adapted milk mixtures it appears expedient to go on with investigations oriented toward incorporation in their composition of factors contributing to bringing the intestinal microflora composition closer to that in natural feeding.