Editing Extremophile (section)

=== Radioactive materials ===
{{see also|Uranium#Biotic and abiotic}}

Any bacteria capable of inhabiting radioactive mediums can be classified as an extremophile. Radioresistant organisms are therefore critical in the bioremediation of radionuclides. Uranium is particularly challenging to contain when released into an environment and very harmful to both human and ecosystem health.<ref>{{Citation |title=Toxicological Profile for Uranium |date=2002-01-12 |work=ATSDR's Toxicological Profiles |publisher=CRC Press |doi=10.1201/9781420061888_ch157 |doi-broken-date=11 November 2024 |isbn=978-1-4200-6188-8 |hdl=2027/mdp.39015032949136 |hdl-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Heising-Goodman |first=Carolyn |date=March 1981 |title=Nuclear Power and Its Environmental Effects |journal=Nuclear Technology |volume=52 |issue=3 |pages=445 |doi=10.13182/nt81-a32724 |bibcode=1981NucTe..52..445H |issn=0029-5450}}</ref> The NANOBINDERS project is equipping bacteria that can survive in uranium rich environments with gene sequences that enable proteins to bind to uranium in mining effluent, making it more convenient to collect and dispose of.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Marques |first=Catarina R. |date=2018-06-01 |title=Extremophilic Microfactories: Applications in Metal and Radionuclide Bioremediation |journal=Frontiers in Microbiology |volume=9 |page=1191 |doi=10.3389/fmicb.2018.01191 |issn=1664-302X |pmc=5992296 |pmid=29910794 |doi-access=free}}</ref> Some examples are ''[[Shewanella putrefaciens]]'', ''[[Geobacter metallireducens]]'' and some strains of ''[[Burkholderia fungorum]].''{{citation needed|date=May 2023}}

[[Radiotrophic fungi]], which use radiation as an energy source, have been found inside and around the [[Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant]].<ref name="sciencenews_20070526">{{Cite magazine |url=http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20070526/fob5.asp |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080424001002/http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20070526/fob5.asp |archivedate=2008-04-24 |magazine=Science News |title=Dark Power: Pigment seems to put radiation to good use |date=May 26, 2007 |volume=171 |number=21 |page=325 |first=Davide |last=Castelvecchi}}</ref>

Radioresistance has also been observed in certain species of macroscopic lifeforms. The lethal dose required to kill up to 50% of a tortoise population is 40,000 [[roentgens]], compared to only 800 roentgens needed to kill 50% of a human population.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.upi.com/Science_News/2002/05/06/Tortoise-blood-fights-radiation-sickness/36041020716491/|title=Tortoise blood fights radiation sickness - UPI.com|website=UPI}}</ref> In experiments exposing [[lepidopteran]] [[insects]] to [[gamma radiation]], significant DNA damage was detected only at 20&nbsp;[[gray (unit)|Gy]] and higher doses, in contrast with human cells that showed similar damage at only 2&nbsp;Gy.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Chandna |first1=S. |last2=Dwarakanath |first2=B. S. |last3=Seth |first3=R. K. |last4=Khaitan |first4=D. |last5=Adhikari |first5=J. S. |last6=Jain |first6=V. |year=2004 |title=Radiation responses of Sf9, a highly radioresistant lepidopteran insect cell line |url=https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15204707/ |journal=International Journal of Radiation Biology |volume=80 |issue=4 |pages=301–315 |doi=10.1080/09553000410001679794 |pmid=15204707 |s2cid=24978637}}</ref>