Deinococcus radiodurans is a bacterium that can survive without air, water, and food, and withstand high doses of radiation. Its genome is stored in multiple copies, allowing for self-repair. It has potential uses in bioremediation, space exploration, and even terraforming.
Deinococcus radiodurans, or D. radiodurans, is believed to be the toughest bacterium in the world. It is able to go without air, water and food and can withstand very high doses of radiation that would kill a human being. The Deinococcus radiodurans genome, the genetic information the microbe needs to repair itself, is stored in the form of a number of copies, rather than the usual single backup copy. This allows enough genetic material to be recovered to create a complete genome if the microorganism has been damaged by radiation. Scientists have proposed a number of uses for Deinococcus radioduran, including cleaning contaminated areas after exposure to radiation and toxic substances, a process known as bioremediation.
During the 1950s, scientists discovered Deinococcus radiodurans in corned beef that had been treated with radiation but still deteriorated. In addition to the fact that Deinococcus radiodurans DNA is replicated to provide multiple copies of its genome, the microorganism has other characteristics useful for survival. Enzymes help protect it from oxygen damage and carotenoid pigments defend it from attack by free radicals. A thick and complex cell wall also acts as a protective barrier between D. radiodurans and high levels of radiation.
Deinococcus radiodurans bioremediation, in which bacteria are used to process hazardous chemicals in hostile environments, involves genetically engineering D. radiodurans to create a superbug. Several microorganisms are already known that have the ability to process a specific toxic chemical but lack the robustness to resist other chemicals that might be present in the same environment. Genes from these microbes can be added to Deinococcus radiodurans to produce a much more robust bacterium with the same capabilities.
It is thought that Deinococcus radiodurans could be useful in space exploration and research. The conditions on Mars, where potential problems for humans include vacuum exposure, intense cold and radiation, would all have survived for D. radiodurans. This means it is potentially useful as a replacement for Mars microbes in research involving simulations of the Martian environment. If humans ever land on Mars, there’s also the possibility that, through genetic engineering, Deinococcus radiodurans could be used to produce drugs on demand, avoiding the need to store expiration-dated drugs in large quantities on board. of a spaceship. Potentially, if humans settle on Mars, D. radiodurans could be used to produce food, process waste, or even alter the environment to make it more human-friendly, in a process known as terraforming.
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