Popular Mechanics

Scientists Found This Organism Can Survive Some of the Harshest Conditions in the Universe

Researchers at Johns Hopkins University demonstrated that the extremophile bacterium Deinococcus radiodurans can survive simulated asteroid‑impact pressures up to 2.4 gigapascals, with roughly 60% of cells remaining viable. The study identified the bacterium’s crystalline membrane protein arrangement and robust DNA‑repair mechanisms as key factors behind its resilience. These results suggest that microbes could endure the extreme forces of planetary ejecta and potentially travel between worlds. The findings lend new support to the lithopanspermia hypothesis, which posits interplanetary transfer of life.