Comments on: Study reveals how ‘world’s toughest bacterium’ survives lethal radiation

By: Greg Laden

Greg Laden — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 07:55:38 +0000

Chris, if you have something specific and substantive to say, say it, I’d love to hear it. If you have a valid complaint, contact Cornell. If you’re just disgruntled, that’s OK too, but realize that you are making a specific, unfounded and misdirected accusation and another specific maybe founded maybe not accusation.

By: chris

chris — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 07:42:28 +0000

Well, at least you sort of mentioned the grad student. You know, the one that probably did all the actual lab work and writing of the paper, but apparently isn’t worth interviewing.

By: Mike B.

Mike B. — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 23:46:53 +0000

Hmm.. I remember a paper about 6-8 years ago that claimed DR DNA was toriodal in shape. At the time, I spoke with a prof who did research on bacteria, and he said he thought it might be a photomicrographic artifact. I wonder if that was ever decided.

This bacteria has impressed me since I first learned of it.

During one philosophical night at a bar with some grad students in the general field, we came up with a bunch of ideas, including conferring that radiation immunity on people for trips to Mars, recovering dinosaur DNA (this was a complicated thought process), conferring immunity to cancer, eternal life, etc., etc.

Anyway thanks for the heads up. Maybe I need to look in this direction again.