The Microbial Life project website has not been significantly updated since 2009. We are preserving the content here because it still contains useful content. But be aware that it may have out of date information.

General Collection of Resources on Microbial Life Exposed to High Levels of Radiation



Meteorite ALH84001

Featured Resources


  • Radiation-Resistant Microbe Found in Chilean Desert (more info) :The Genome News Network (GNN) reports a new species of Deinococcus bacteria has been discovered in the Atacama Desert in Chile.(more info)

  • Secrets of a Salty Survivor ( This site may be offline. ) :This Science at NASA article reports the ability of the halophilic bacteria Halobacterium to survive lethal doses of radiation, extreme dryness, and the vacuum of space.(more info)

  • Life in extreme environments (more info) :This Nature review article provides a detailed description of bacterial prevalence in extreme environments.(more info)

  • Other Radiation Collections



    General Collection: Resources such as news articles, web sites, and reference pages provide a comprehensive array of information about radiation tolerant microbes.




    For Educators: This collection includes activities, assignments, and reading materials created specifically for educators.





    Additional Resources


    For additional resources about Microbial Life in Radioactive Environments, search the Microbial Life collection