suvarnianaidoo
The adopted bacterium that I would like to share is Deinococcus radiodurans.
In the event of radiation and chemical spills happening this bacterium can be used to contain and the damage caused by metabolizing any radioactive particles.
This method of environmental clean-up is known as Bioremediation.
D. radiodurans has a thick cell wall which makes it appear Gram-positive when stained. However, it has two membranes, so more closely resembles a Gram-negative cell.
Meet Deinococcus radiodurans, one of the world’s toughest bacterium. It’s an extremophile and one of the most radiation-resistant organisms known on Earth. This hardy little bacterium can survive over a thousand times the amount of radiation that would kill a human. Its tolerance to many harsh conditions has earned itself the name “Conan the Bacterium,” after the movie Conan the Barbarian. D. radiodurans is a spherical bacterium and four individual cells are typically stuck together forming a square shaped cluster. Aside from radiation resistance, D. radiodurans is also resistant to ultraviolet light and desiccation.
The real problem with radiation is that it rips apart DNA. D. radiodurans solves this challenge by keeping four or more backup copies of its genome, separated in four compartments. Even if radiation shatters its DNA, the bacterium can glue the bits back together, or copy sequences from the backups.
D. radiodurans holds the title of "most radiation-resistant lifeform". Not only can it can withstand an amount of gamma radiation that would kill a human, it can handle 3000 times that amount.
For one, it's chock-full of antioxidants, such as the carotenoids that give it its scarlet hue. These counter dangerous chemicals called free radicals, which are made by radiation.
D. radiodurans' amazing resilience has led some scientists to suggest that it came from outer space, where cosmic radiation is high. However, it probably evolved its defenses for a more terrestrial threat: dehydration, which slices up DNA just like radiation.
A strain of pink bacteria that can survive massive doses of radiation may lead to a better understanding of cancer and new ways of clearing up nuclear waste.
