Phylum Deinococcus-Thermus Rank Species | Family Deinococcaceae Scientific name Deinococcus geothermalis Higher classification Deinococcus Order Deinococcus–Thermus | |
Similar Deinococcus, Deinococcus–Thermus, Deinococcus radiodurans, Neisseria polysaccharea, Meiothermus | ||
Deinococcus geothermalis is a bacterium. It produces orange-pigmented colonies and has an optimum growth temperature of about 45 °C (113 °F) to 50 °C (122 °F). It is extremely gamma radiation-resistant. Its type strain is AG-3a (= DSM 11300).
A space mission called EXPOSE-R2 was launched on 24 July 2014 aboard the Russian Progress M-23M, and was attached on 18 August 2014 outside the ISS on the Russian module Zvezda. The two main experiments will test the resistance of a variety of extremophile microorganisms, including Deinococcus geothermalis to long-term exposure to outer space and to a Mars simulated environment.
Genome structure
Deinococcus geothermalis has a genome that contains 2.47 Mbp with 2,335 protein coding genes. Additionally, it carries at least 2 plasmids.