Study of minimal inhibitory concentration of antibiotics on bacteria cultivated in vitro in space (Cytos 2 experiment).

The aim of the Cytos 2 experiment, carried out during the French-Soviet manned flight in July 1982, was to study the bacteria's sensitivity to antibiotics cultivated in vitro during the orbital flight, using the bacterial method of minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC). Two species of bacteria were tested with various antibiotics: Staphylococcus aureus with Oxacillin, Chloramphenicol and Erythromycin; Escherichia coli with Colistin and Kanamycin. The results show an increase in resistance to antibiotics particularly strong in E. coli and weaker in Staphylococcus aureus. Considering these results, we think that there might be a relationship between the increase in resistance to antibiotics and a stimulating effect on growth rate by the factors of environmental space.