Isolation of extremely halophilic Archaea from a saline river in the Lut Desert of Iran, moderately resistant to desiccation and gamma radiation

Researchers isolated extremely halophilic archaea from the Shoor River in Iran's Lut Desert, identifying 59 distinct strains with notable resistance to desiccation and gamma radiation. Three strains (MS2, MS17, MS50) survived up to 8 weeks under desiccating conditions and exhibited moderate radioresistance, with a D10 value of 2–3 kGy. These strains belonged to the family Halobacteriaceae, showing high similarity to known species but demonstrating unique survival patterns distinct from Deinococcus radiodurans. This study represents the first report of such halophilic archaea from this region, highlighting their potential for extreme environmental adaptation.

Shirsalimian, M. S., Amoozegar, M. A., Sepahy, A. A., Kalantar, S. M., & Dabbagh, R. (2017). Isolation of extremely halophilic Archaea from a saline river in the Lut Desert of Iran, moderately resistant to desiccation and gamma radiation. Microbiology, 86(3), 403–411. https://doi.org/10.1134/s0026261717030158