The name, ‘Deinococcus radiodurans,’ has been derived from the Greek language which literally translates to ‘strange-berry.’ It is a Gram-positive, nonpathogenic bacterium with an average cell diameter of 1 μm. A long-term space exposure of D. radiodurans has been performed in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) in frames of the Tanpopo orbital mission aiming to investigate the possibility of interplanetary life transfer. Viracocha 22:18, 25 Deinococcus radiodurans was first isolated when it spoiled a can of meat that had been sterilized using gamma radiation. Reasons to quit smoking are plenty because it causes more than cancer, El Silbon: Young boy who killed his father and cursed to become ghost, https://www.facebook.com/scientificMysteries. Controversial films which years after release are still banned in few places. Thank goodness I found it on Bing. People who walk on all fours are rare but they do exist! Brazilian Wandering Spider can be deadly to humans; beware it! The bacterium Deinococcus radiodurans is a champion of extreme radiation resistance that is accounted for by a highly efficient protection against proteome, but not genome, damage. Why not scuba dive with sharks?  While the scientists have done a lot of analysis on this bacterium, the mechanisms of its resistance remain unclear; however, there could be some possible reasons for its resistance. resistance functions in D. radiodurans . It can do it with absolute fidelity; the new genome looks as good as the old one. Well, the microbe is almost indestructible, bearing the capability of surviving at the surface of Mars which is bombarded with intense radiation.  It can also survive the drought conditions and lack of nutrients. In humans, the oxidative modification of cellular macromolecules underlies a variety of degenerative diseases, cancer, and aging. A well-protected functional proteome ensures cell recovery from extensive radiation damage to other cellular constituents by molecular repair and turnover processes, including an efficient repair of disintegrated … Meet Deinococcus radiodurans, one of the world’s toughest bacterium. There is a high enough level of radiation that can kill the bacteria. These places are real chills! When the studies on this bacterium are still pursuing, it is definitely in the minds of the scientists to use Deinococcus Radiodurans to search life on Mars or elsewhere, or help them understand how to avoid potential ‘cross-contamination’ between earthly and alien life forms. If someone became ill, treatment would start with drugs in from a small supply kept on hand, while the appropriate bugs were awakened to produce a regular supply. Not only has D.radiodurans been genetically modified for bioremediation applications, but also it has been discovered that it could perform a major role in biomedical research and in nanotechnology. Deinococcus radiodurans is known for its ability to withstand supra-lethal ionizing radiation and UVR (1000 J m)2) (Yuan et al. Richmond, Sridhar, and Daly suggest that D. radiodurans can be genetically manipulated to produce various drugs that humans might need while exploring Mars, then put on ice during the mission. While no one really knows what the microbe’s natural habitat is, it could be present in the environments as diverse as elephant dung and granite in Antarctic dry valleys. This bacteria is helpful to many organism. “For instance, Deinococcus radiodurans lacks the major repair pathway for double strand breaks that exists in E. coli. "D. radiodurans has taught us -- if you want to survive radiation: protect your proteins," explained study co-author Dr. Michael Daly, professor of Pathology at … It has been known to withstand radiation levels of up to 1,000 times that which would kill a normal human, living up to its latin name, "strange little berry that withstands radiation." Deinococcus radiodurans has been shown to have a great potential to be used in different fields of investigation. Golden Poison Frog: It’s among the most poisonous animals on planet, Blue Ringed Octopus: The most venomous marine animal, Pufferfish: Its poison is toxic than cyanide and still humans consume it, Inland Taipan: All details about ‘the most venomous snake in world’. Talking about the cell structure of the organism, its cell envelope consists of at least six layers. It contains 8 to 10 haploid genome copies during exponential growth and 4 genome copies during stationary phase. Deinococcus radiodurans Deinococcus radiodurans has encountered severe scrutiny of its abilities from scientific research. There is no dispute that Deinococcus radiodurans is interesting, but it can also be very useful as well. induced by ROS is harmful to all organisms. It also deals in various other interesting topics from the fields as diverse as the human lifestyle to animals’ lives. Deinococcus radiodurans is unparalleled among all known species in its capacity to overcome oxidative stress that affects all cellular macromolecules (62, 108, 120). This organism shows remarkable resistance to damage caused by extreme levels of ionizing radiation, dessication, ultraviolet (UV) radiation, oxidizing agents, and electrophilic mutagens. The bacterium has a conventional suite of DNA repair genes. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. This hardy little bacterium can survive over a thousand times the amount of radiation that would kill a human. The beings proved to be very hardy.  To ensure if the bacteria could actually survive the Martian conditions, the scientists with gamma rays to simulate the dose they would receive living under 30cm of Martian soil over long periods of time. Now, that you know that with such a complex name, there is a bacterium, you might be wondering how tough it is actually. Thus, scientists started the research on them to draw a hypothesis about the possibility of life in extreme environmental conditions. ... and 2,000 times the dosage that is lethal to humans. Deinococcus radiodurans – it is a name present in the “Guinness Book of World Record” for being “the world’s toughest…. The polyextremophile, gram-positive bacterium Deinococcus radiodurans can withstand harsh conditions of real and simulated outer space environment, e.g., UV and ionizing radiation. The second layer is perforated, while the third layer is divided into numerous fine compartments. Reasons to quit smoking are plenty because it causes more than cancer, El Silbon: Young boy who killed his father and cursed to become ghost, https://www.facebook.com/scientificMysteries. Deinococcus radiodurans was exposed for 1 year outside the International Space Station within Tanpopo orbital mission to investigate microbial survival and space travel. These places are real chills! Since then this species has been intensely studied for its radiation resistant properties. Note however that Deinococcus radiodurans is not immune to radiation. Just out of curiosity, is D. radiodurans potentially harmful to humans or any other animals? The additional genomes might be the reason for the bacterium to recover at least one complete copy of its genome after exposure to radiation. Deinococcus radiodurans Description and significance Deinococcus radiodurans is a red-pigmented, non-motile, spherical bacterium that is 1-2 µm in size. It is capable of withstanding acute irradiation doses of 1 500 kilorads, a level hundreds of times higher than most other organisms. Deinococcus radiodurans is renowned for its resistance to radiation - it can survive several thousand times the lethal dose for humans. is deinococcus radiodurans harmful to humans January 15, 2019February 1, 2019- Animal Deinococcus Radiodurans: Bacterium very tough; it might survive on Mars Deinococcus radiodurans – it is a name present in the “Guinness Book of World Record” for being “the world’s toughest… Mummies are found inside Egyptian pyramids: Why are pyramids made? When exposed to high levels of radiation, Deinococcus Radiodurans reduces to fragments; however, RecA proteins (may) play role in finding overlapping fragments and splicing them together. From her research, we may be able to understand how to protect or repair cells from the harmful effects of radiation. The 3.28- megabase genome (the genetic material) consists of two chromosomes and two plasmids. In humans, the oxidative modification of cellular macromolecules by ROS is the basis of various degenerative diseases, cancer, and aging [5,6]. Mummies are found inside Egyptian pyramids: Why are pyramids made? In humans, the oxidative modification of cellular macromolecules by ROS is the basis of various degenerative diseases, cancer, and aging [5,6]. I came across it a few years ago when researching life that It was discovered in a can of ground that had been treated with the large dose of radiation to remove all hazardous bacteria from the product.  When the meat got spoiled because of this bacteria, the scientists were surprised by its remarkable talent. The fourth layer is the outer membrane, the fifth is a distinct electro-lucent zone, and the sixth layer consists of regularly packed hexagonal protein subunits. though Deinococcus radiodurans has not been known to cause death or disease in humans, many humans are very skeptical of releasing microbes into the soil. It also deals in various other interesting topics from the fields as diverse as the human lifestyle to animals’ lives. It is a resilient bacterium, in that it is resistant to radiation, UV light, hydrogen peroxide, and many other DNA The bacterium can even bear the extreme cold. Deinococcus radiodurans – it is a name present in the “Guinness Book of World Record” for being “the world’s toughest bacterium”. It is able to cope without air, water and food, and can withstand very high doses of radiation which would kill a human. Scientific Mystery presents information from the world of science fiction and the famous mysteries. Because of the manganese ions found in the cells, this … Your email address will not be published. The high ionizing radiation does shatter the organism’s genome, but it has the ability to stitch its fragments back together. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. People who walk on all fours are rare but they do exist! First Plant on the Moon is finally grown – China’s accomplishment!  The studies have proved that the bacterium contains a protein known as RecA which is essential for radiation resistance. Since then, D. radiodurans has been discovered in a wide variety of habitats. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 172.192.149.119 22:37, 24 March 2008 (UTC) No, there aren't any known pathogenic extremophiles. The innermost layer is the plasma membrane. Interestingly, the Antarctic dry valleys on Earth resembles Mars. because of the UVR is harmful to DNA as they tend to induce random mutations. Well, the discovery of Deinococcus Radiodurans may actually help the scientists to find the unsolved mystery of alien life. I really appreciate this post. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Deinococcus radiodurans: A bacterium that can survives extremely high levels of radiation and therefore has high potential for radioactive waste cleanup. Nor does D. radiodurans protect its DNA Required fields are marked *. D. radiodurans is a gram-positive bacteria, which exhibits significant resistance to ionising radiation. Deinococcus Radiodurans: Bacterium very tough; it might survive on Mars. Deinococcus radiodurans is one of my favorite species of bacteria (it even made the Guinness Book of World Records!). Now, that you know that with such a complex name, there is a bacterium, you might be wondering how tough it is actually. You’ve made my day! Scientisis have discovered that Deinococcus radiodurans can metabolize harmfu l toxic substances.We can utilize this special bacteria to break down toxic waste and other substances that are harmful to other organisms. The scientists chilled the bacterium to -79C (the average temperature at Mars’ mid-latitudes). Deinococcus radiodurans was first discovered in 1956 in a can of ground meat that had been treated with large doses of radiation to remove all hazardous bacteria from the product. Access to Scientific Mystery is through different social media: We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. The scientists are now focusing on the proteins and pathways involving in suturing a fractured genome back together. Rain on other planets isn’t watery; it even rain diamonds on some planets, North Sentinel Island is home to dangerous stone age tribe. Space … Let’s just wait and watch! The bacterium, whose name means 'strange berry that withstands radiation,' is the most radiation-resistant organism known. Deinococcus radiodurans withstands high levels of radiation, efficiently repairing breakage of its own DNA without loss of viability (White et al., 1999). Characteristics of Animals, those you already know, but not really know. The red, spherical bacterium was first discovered in the year 1956. It can even repair hundreds of double-strand breaks without the loss of vitality. I¦ve been looking all over for this! Deinococcus radiodurans, the most radiation-resistance organism ever known and endure 1,500 Kilorad/hr gamma or UV radiation and grow in radioactive environment. This characteristic is useful for remediation of radioactive waste material by introducing the gene from Pseudomonas putida spp. It’s an extremophile and one of the most radiation-resistant organisms known on Earth. 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