Isolation of Two Radiation Resistant and Desiccation Tolerant Bacteria, Modestobacter sp. A2 and Maritalea sp. B9, from Gandom Beryan Hill in the Lut Desert of Iran

Researchers isolated two radiation-resistant and desiccation-tolerant bacteria, Modestobacter sp. A2 and Maritalea sp. B9, from the Lut Desert's Gandom Beryan Hill, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Iran. These nonendospore-forming isolates survived 8 weeks under extreme dehydration conditions and exhibited moderate resistance to gamma radiation (D10 value: 2–4 kGy). Phylogenetic analysis confirmed their affiliation with Modestobacter muralis (99.7% similarity) and Maritalea mobilis (97.3% similarity), marking the first report of radiation-resistant bacteria in the genus Maritalea. The study employed culture-dependent methods, exposing soil and sand samples to controlled dehydration before assessing survival and resistance. This discovery sheds light on microbial diversity in arid ecosystems, with potential implications for extremophile research.

Shirsalimian, M. S., Akhavan Sepahy, A., Amoozegar, M. A., Kalantar, S. M., & Dabbagh, R. (2018). Isolation of Two Radiation Resistant and Desiccation Tolerant Bacteria, Modestobacter sp. A2 and Maritalea sp. B9, from Gandom Beryan Hill in the Lut Desert of Iran. Microbiology, 87(3), 363–371. https://doi.org/10.1134/s0026261718030104