Moscow – What happens to the bodies of six astronauts embarking on a 520-day mission on Mars? A group of researchers from the Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology of the University of Bologna have uncovered the answer. They have analysed the temporal dynamics of the intestinal microbiota of astronauts who participated in MARS500 – the longest Mars simulation missions ever made. The research – part of an international collaboration involving the University of Tuscia and the Institute of Biomedical Technologies of the National Research Council among others – is the first in the world to assess the impact of prolonged confinement on the human intestinal microbiota. (9columns)
