Short Wave

Conan The Bacterium's Superpower: Resisting Radiation

Dec 13, 2024 · 8 min · Episode 1184 · 8.5 MB
0:00-8:49

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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 radiationthousands of times the amount that would kill a human. So what's Conan's secret?

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