Desulfotomaculum kuznetsovii
Did you know that the ability of micro-organisms to survive extreme environmental conditions is partly determined by their capacity to protect DNA from destructive chemical and physical conditions.
Some bacteria form endospores that can resist extreme conditions which include high pressure, extreme heat or cold, drought, starvation, most chemical poisons and UV-radiation. Spores may remain dormant for centuries and may even survive over geological time and through interstellar travel.
One extreme heat resistance micro-organism is the spores of the thermophilic sulphate-reducing bacterium Desulfotomaculum kuznetsovii.
About 10% of the spores of this organism survived a heat treatment at 140 ºC for 15 min., which is unprecedented.
This unusual characteristic is represented by a z-value (thermal inactivation coefficient) of 16.7 ºC. The decimal reduction value at 120 ºC is 4 hours, which is highest one of the highest ever.
