Microgravity reshapes T7 phage-E. coli coevolution aboard the International Space Station

A PLOS Biology study by Huss, Chitboonthavisuk, Meger and colleagues reports the dynamics between T7 bacteriophage and Escherichia coli aboard the International Space Station: phage activity was initially delayed in microgravity but ultimately successful, and de novo mutations in both phage and bacteria enhanced fitness there. Deep mutational scanning of the phage receptor binding domain differed between terrestrial and microgravity conditions, and T7 variants built from microgravity selections could productively infect uropathogenic E. coli resistant to wild-type T7 on Earth.