Turns out this microorganism, known to science as Deinococcus radiodurans, is capable of surviving extreme levels of radiation — thousands of times the amount that would kill a human.

Deinococcus radiodurans was discovered by Arthur W. Anderson in 1956. Anderson was working in Corvallis, Oregon at the Oregon Agricultural Experiment station. The researchers were attempting to ...

For a human, experiencing a mere five grays (Gy) of ionizing radiation for just a few minutes can be lethal. But the bacterium Deinococcus radiodurans is made of tougher stuff. In liquid culture ...

Deinococcus radiodurans, also known as ‘Conan the Bacterium,’ can survive a variety of extreme environments that would doom any other species, including intense radiation. A new study shows ...

Deinococcus radiodurans, also called "Conan the Bacterium" by scientists, is seen under a microscope. Michael Daly/USU. Sign up for CNN’s Wonder Theory science newsletter.

The bacterium D. radiodurans can survive thousands of times more radiation than any other living creature -- because it has a unique ability to repair genetic damage extremely efficiently.

When dried and frozen, Deinococcus radiodurans could survive 140,000 grays, or units of X-and gamma-ray radiation, which is 28,000 times greater than the amount of radiation that could kill a person.

Thanks for a powerful antioxidant, Deinococcus radiodurans can withstand radiation doses 28,000 times greater than what would kill a human. In a new study, scientists discovered how the ...

When dried and frozen, Deinococcus radiodurans could survive 140,000 grays, or units of X-and gamma-ray radiation, which is 28,000 times greater than the amount of radiation that could kill a person.

When dried and frozen, Deinococcus radiodurans could survive 140,000 grays, or units of X-and gamma-ray radiation, which is ...

(CNN) — A type of bacteria called Deinococcus radiodurans, nicknamed “Conan the Bacterium” for its ability to survive the harshest of extremes, can withstand radiation doses 28,000 times greater than ...