Conan The Bacterium's Superpower: Resisting Radiation
Short Wave
Deep Dive
What is Conan the Bacterium and why is it famous?
Conan the Bacterium, formally known as Deinococcus radiodurans, is famous for its ability to survive extreme levels of radiation—thousands of times higher than what would kill a human. It was discovered in the 1950s and has been nicknamed for its resilience.
How much radiation can Conan the Bacterium withstand compared to humans?
Conan the Bacterium can withstand radiation doses thousands of times higher than what would kill a human.
What are the potential applications of Conan the Bacterium's radiation resistance?
Potential applications include protecting astronauts from radiation in space and developing medical treatments to enhance human radiation resistance, such as for long missions to Mars.
What are the key components suspected to contribute to Conan the Bacterium's radiation resistance?
The key components suspected to contribute to its radiation resistance are phosphate, manganese, and peptides within its cells.
What recent discovery explains how Conan the Bacterium's radiation resistance works?
Recent research revealed that when phosphate, manganese, and peptides combine, they form a complex that provides more radiation protection than each component individually. This breakthrough was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
What percentage of older adults in the U.S. feel lonely at least some of the time?
33% of older adults in the U.S. feel lonely at least some of the time, according to the National Poll on Healthy Aging from the University of Michigan.
What are the health risks associated with chronic loneliness?
Chronic loneliness increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and dementia. A 2022 study found that it can make people three times more likely to develop dementia.
How can loneliness be addressed as a health problem?
Loneliness can be addressed by fostering human connections through community activities, medical interventions like hearing aids, and pairing older adults with teens to combat social isolation.
Why can some animals regenerate their hearing while humans cannot?
Some animals, like zebrafish and lizards, can regenerate their hearing by regenerating hair cells in their inner ears. Humans and other adult mammals cannot because the gene enhancers that allow supporting cells to act as understudies are closed.
What role do gene enhancers play in hearing regeneration?
Gene enhancers act as switches that can be open or closed. In animals that can regenerate hearing, these switches are open, allowing supporting cells to replace damaged hair cells. In adult mammals, including humans, these switches are closed, preventing regeneration.
- Deinococcus radiodurans's extreme radiation resistance.
- The synergistic effect of phosphate, manganese, and peptides.
- Potential applications in astronaut protection and medicine.
Shownotes Transcript