• Conan The Bacterium's Superpower: Resisting Radiation

  • Dec 13 2024
  • Length: 9 mins
  • Podcast

Conan The Bacterium's Superpower: Resisting Radiation

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  • Summary

  • 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?

    Want more stories about the microbial world? Let us know by emailing us at shortwave@npr.org!

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