Conan The Bacterium's Superpower: Resisting Radiation
- Author
- NPR ([email protected])
- Published
- Fri 13 Dec 2024
- Episode Link
- https://www.npr.org/2024/12/13/1219032799/bacteria-radiation-resistant-conan-bacterium
In the 1950s, scientists exposed a tin of meat to a dose of radiation that they expected would kill all forms of life. But one organism defied the odds and lived: Conan The Bacterium. Turns out this microorganism, known to science as Deinococcus radiodurans, is capable of surviving extreme levels of radiation — thousands of times the amount that would kill a human. So what's Conan's secret?
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