The secret of the bacteria that supports radioactivity thousands of times greater than that which is fatal to humans

The strength of the Deinococcus radiodurans bacteria is so great in supporting what easily kills other living beings, that it has been colloquially nicknamed “Conan, the bacteria”, in reference to the warrior Conan, the character of outstanding physical strength and bravery. created almost a hundred years ago by the writer Robert E. Howard and later made into comics and films.

The secret of this bacteria’s incredible resistance to radiation, up to 28,000 times that which would kill a human being, lies in a set of metabolites, which combine with manganese to form a powerful antioxidant.

Now, a team including, among others, Hao Yang, from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, and Michael Daly, from USU (Uniform Services University), both institutions in the United States, has discovered revealing details about this antioxidant.

In a new study, these researchers characterized a designer synthetic antioxidant, called MDP, that was inspired by the resistance of Deinococcus radiodurans. They found that the components of MDP (manganese ions, phosphate, and a small peptide) form a ternary complex that is a much more potent protector against radiation damage than manganese combined with any of the other components alone.

This discovery could lead to new synthetic antioxidants specifically adapted to human needs. Its applications include protecting astronauts from intense cosmic radiation during deep space missions and preparing for radiological emergencies.

Deinococcus radiodurans, capable of withstanding doses of radiation thousands of times greater than that which kills a human being. (Photo: USU / Michael Daly)

The study is titled “The ternary complex of Mn²⁺synthetic decapeptide DP1 (DEHGTAVMLK), and orthophosphate is a superb antioxidant.” And it is published in the academic journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). (Fountain: NCYT by Amazings)

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