Newly found bacteria at International Space Station named after Indian scientist Seyed Ajmal Khan

Hyderabad: The University of Hyderabad along with researchers from NASA have discovered a new bacterial species in International Space Station (ISS) and named it after an Indian biodiversity scientist Seyed Ajmal Khan.  They have described the discovery and isolation of four strains of bacteria belonging to the family Methylobacteriaceae from different locations aboard the ISS and have named it ‘Methylobacterium ajmalii’.
The rod-shaped bacteria are believed to have the potential to grow crops in the space that facilitates space farming, however, further experimental biology is needed to prove that it is, indeed, a potential game-changer for space farming.
To grow plants in extreme places where resources are minimal, isolation of novel microbes that help to promote plant growth under stressful conditions is essential.
While one strain was identified as  Methylorubrum rhodesianum  bacteria, the other three strains were previously undiscovered.
The team of researchers have proposed to call one of the novel strains as  Methylobacterium ajmalii , after Seyed Ajmal Khan, who is a professor at the Annamalai University in Tamil Nadu.