EcAMSat: A Small Satellite Flown to Explore the Role a Sigma Factor Plays in E. coli’s Response to the Antibiotic Gentamicin

Abstract: We have successfully flown the EcAMSat (Escherichia coli Antimicrobial Satellite) free-flyer mission. This was a 6U (six unit – CubeSat) small satellite that autonomously conducted an experiment in low Earth orbit to explore the impact of the space environment on antibiotic resistance in uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC) and the role a particular sigma factor plays in the response. After being held in stasis during transport to orbit, two strains – a wildtype UPEC and an isogenic mutant with a de…