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Evaluating microbial community profiles of Chile peppers grown on the International Space Station provides implications for fruiting crops
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  • Published: 23 January 2026

Evaluating microbial community profiles of Chile peppers grown on the International Space Station provides implications for fruiting crops

  • Christina L. M. Khodadad1,
  • Anirudha R. Dixit2,
  • Mary E. Hummerick1,
  • LaShelle E. Spencer1,
  • Cory J. Spern1,
  • Jacob Torres3,
  • Oscar Monje2,
  • Jeffrey T. Richards2,
  • Jennifer Gooden2,
  • Aaron B. Curry3,
  • Gioia D. Massa4,
  • Nicole DuFour4,
  • Lucie Poulet5,
  • Matthew W. Romeyn4 &
  • …
  • Raymond M. Wheeler4 

Scientific Reports , Article number:  (2026) Cite this article

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We are providing an unedited version of this manuscript to give early access to its findings. Before final publication, the manuscript will undergo further editing. Please note there may be errors present which affect the content, and all legal disclaimers apply.

Subjects

  • Microbiology
  • Molecular biology
  • Plant sciences

Abstract

One of NASA’s goals is growing edible crops in spaceflight to supplement the astronauts’ diet with fresh, safe-to-eat vegetables. Growing plants in spaceflight presents challenges to achieve optimal plant growth and productivity. It is important to understand the optimal conditions for crops grown in spaceflight. The Advanced Plant Habitat (APH), an enclosed, environmentally controlled plant growth facility on the International Space Station (ISS) has been used to grow plants and monitors the environment. A technology demonstration mission on the ISS used the APH to grow chile peppers, Capsicum annuum, cv. NuMex Española Improved to maturity. Over 25 peppers were successfully harvested as a mix of red and green peppers at 109 and 137 days after initiation. Half of the fruit were consumed by the crew, and half were frozen at − 80 °C and returned with the science carrier (SC) to Kennedy Space Center, FL to determine microbial load and food safety. Bacterial and fungal counts, ranged from below detection limit to 111 CFU/gram fresh weight found on a single pepper only. Foodborne pathogens were not detected. Investigation of the communities using the V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene revealed taxonomic variations between the SC quadrants as well as between hardware components and plant tissues, indicating possible vertical or horizontal transfer of some bacteria. An investigation into the bacterial communities indicated 13 genera and 1 unidentified microbe as possible core microbiome components. In addition, bacteria such as Burkholderia and Sphingomonas previously identified from ISS water samples were present in the communities. This technology demonstration growing a long duration fruiting crop on the ISS provided verification of the pre-determined environmental conditions, contributed to the validation of the APHs’ capability to support fruiting crops in space, and provided the crew a safe-to-eat addition to their pre-packaged diet. This technology demonstration may serve as a baseline for future space crop production systems or long duration spaceflight missions.

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Data availability

The datasets generated and analyzed during this study have been deposited and are available in the NASA GeneLab repository [https://osdr.nasa.gov/bio/repo/data/studies/OSD-772], **DOI**: [https://doi.org/10.26030/mjvk-v435]. This data set can be identified as OSD-772. The direct link is https://doi.org/10.26030/mjvk-v435. An alternative method for data access is to contact the corresponding authors, Drs. Anirudha Dixit or Christina LM Khodadad@nasa.gov.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the Redwire Space staff for their science operations at Kennedy Space Center, the Sierra Space staff for facility operations and NASA astronauts Megan McArthur, Mark Van de Hei, Shane Kimbrough, Kayla Barron, and ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet for nurturing the pepper plants during the growth period. The authors are grateful for the fertilizer counsel and support of Ed Rosenthal and Florikan ESA.

Funding

Funding was provided by NASA’s Biological and Physical Sciences which funded the ground and development work. The International Space Station Program funded PH-04 flight study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Noetic Strategies, Inc., Lincoln Mills Building #1, 1300 Meridian St N Suite 3000-b, Huntsville, AL, 35801, USA

    Christina L. M. Khodadad, Mary E. Hummerick, LaShelle E. Spencer & Cory J. Spern

  2. AETOS Systems Inc., 1525 Perimeter Parkway, Suite 245, Huntsville, AL, 35806, USA

    Anirudha R. Dixit, Oscar Monje, Jeffrey T. Richards & Jennifer Gooden

  3. Engineering Research and Consulting LLC, 308 Voyager Way NW, Suite 200, Huntsville, AL, 35806-3200, USA

    Jacob Torres & Aaron B. Curry

  4. NASA, Exploration Research & Technology (ER&T) Programs, Kennedy Space Center, FL, 32899, USA

    Gioia D. Massa, Nicole DuFour, Matthew W. Romeyn & Raymond M. Wheeler

  5. Clermont Auvergne INP, CNRS, Institut Pascal, Université Clermont Auvergne, 63000, Clermont-Ferrand, France

    Lucie Poulet

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Contributions

CLK- experimental design, sample processing, data collection, data analysis, manuscript development; ARD- experimental design, sample processing, data collection, data analysis; manuscript development; MEH- experimental design, sample processing, data collection, data analysis; LES- experimental design, horticulture and crop management, project development; CJS- sample processing, data collection, manuscript development; JJT-project development, data collection, horticulture and crop management; OM- data collection, experimental design, project development; JTR-project management, project development, data collection, experimental design; JLG- sample processing, data collection; ABC- sample processing, data collection; GDM- project development, data collection, experimental design; ND- project management, project development; LP-experimental design, horticulture and crop management, data collection; MWR- project development, project management, experimental design, funding support; RMW- project development, experimental design, funding support. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Anirudha R. Dixit.

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Khodadad, C.L.M., Dixit, A.R., Hummerick, M.E. et al. Evaluating microbial community profiles of Chile peppers grown on the International Space Station provides implications for fruiting crops. Sci Rep (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-20440-9

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  • Received: 05 September 2024

  • Accepted: 15 September 2025

  • Published: 23 January 2026

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-20440-9

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Keywords

  • Chile peppers
  • Spaceflight
  • ISS
  • Food safety
  • APH
  • Capsicum annum
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