Which bacterium is resistant to radiation and used in bioremediation of nuclear waste?
Deinococcus radiodurans, Gram-positive tetrad-forming non-sporulating bacterium isolated from gamma-irradiated canned meat, holds world record for ionizing radiation resistance surviving acute doses exceeding 15 kiloGray, ultraviolet, desiccation and oxidative stress due to multilayered defense systems making it uniquely suited for remediation of nuclear weapons production sites like Hanford and Savannah River where organic solvents such as toluene, trichloroethene and heavy metals co-contaminate radionuclide plumes that kill conventional bioremediation bacteria. Resistance mechanisms include
Ref: Brim et al. Nature Biotechnology 2000 Engineered D. radiodurans for radioactive waste; Cox & Battista 2005 Repair review; PubMed radiodurans bioremediation.
