[After the pandemic is before the pandemic: And how interdisciplinary research can help here]. / Nach der Pandemie ist vor der Pandemie: Und wie interdisziplinäre Forschung hier helfen kann.

Aviation is among the social sectors most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and at the same time has contributed to the rapid global spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. SARS-CoV-2 is one of the coronaviruses that have led to outbreaks such as MERS-CoV in the past. This group of pathogens, as well as others that may be unknown at this time, will continue to challenge our society in the future. In order to be able to react better, a research training group was established at DLR in cooperation with 6 institutes, which will develop interdisciplinary approaches to researching and combating current and future pandemics. Engineers, physicists, software developers, biologists and physicians are working closely together on new concepts and the development of interdisciplinary knowledge in order to better control and contain future pandemics and to be able to react in a more targeted manner. One focus is the reduction of germ contamination in airplanes but also in other means of public transport such as buses and trains. In this review, we provide an overview of the baseline situation and possible approaches to address future pandemic challenges.

Enhanced assembly of bacteriophage T7 produced in cell-free reactions under simulated microgravity.

On-demand biomanufacturing has the potential to improve healthcare and self-sufficiency during space missions. Cell-free transcription and translation reactions combined with DNA blueprints can produce promising therapeutics like bacteriophages and virus-like particles. However, how space conditions affect the synthesis and self-assembly of such complex multi-protein structures is unknown. Here, we characterize the cell-free production of infectious bacteriophage T7 virions under simulated microgravity. Rotation in a 2D-clinostat increased the number of infectious particles compared to static controls. Quantitative analyses by mass spectrometry, immuno-dot-blot and real-time PCR showed no significant differences in protein and DNA contents, suggesting enhanced self-assembly of T7 phages in simulated microgravity. While the effects of genuine space conditions on the cell-free synthesis and assembly of bacteriophages remain to be investigated, our findings support the vision of a cell-free synthesis-enabled "astropharmacy".

Exploring Andean High-Altitude Lake Extremophiles through Advanced Proteotyping.

Quickly identifying and characterizing isolates from extreme environments is currently challenging while very important to explore the Earth's biodiversity. As these isolates may, in principle, be distantly related to known species, techniques are needed to reliably identify the branch of life to which they belong. Proteotyping these environmental isolates by tandem mass spectrometry offers a rapid and cost-effective option for their identification using their peptide profiles. In this study, we document the first high-throughput proteotyping approach for environmental extremophilic and halophilic isolates. Microorganisms were isolated from samples originating from high-altitude Andean lakes (3700-4300 m a.s.l.) in the Chilean Altiplano, which represent environments on Earth that resemble conditions on other planets. A total of 66 microorganisms were cultivated and identified by proteotyping and 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. Both the approaches revealed the same genus identification for all isolates except for three isolates possibly representing not yet taxonomically characterized organisms based on their peptidomes. Proteotyping was able to indicate the presence of two potentially new genera from the families of Paracoccaceae and Chromatiaceae/Alteromonadaceae, which have been overlooked by 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing approach only. The paper highlights that proteotyping has the potential to discover undescribed microorganisms from extreme environments.

Spaceflight Virology: What Do We Know about Viral Threats in the Spaceflight Environment?

Viruses constitute a significant part of the human microbiome, so wherever humans go, viruses are brought with them, even on space missions. In this mini review, we focus on the International Space Station (ISS) as the only current human habitat in space that has a diverse range of viral genera that infect microorganisms from bacteria to eukaryotes. Thus, we have reviewed the literature on the physical conditions of space habitats that have an impact on both virus transmissibility and interaction with their host, which include UV radiation, ionizing radiation, humidity, and microgravity. Also, we briefly comment on the practices used on space missions that reduce virus spread, that is, use of antimicrobial surfaces, spacecraft sterilization practices, and air filtration. Finally, we turn our attention to the health threats that viruses pose to space travel. Overall, even though efforts are taken to ensure safe conditions during human space travel, for example, preflight quarantines of astronauts, we reflect on the potential risks humans might be exposed to and how those risks might be aggravated in extraterrestrial habitats.