Researchers have discovered what makes the bacterium Deinococcus radiodurans so strong. This little bug can eat nuclear waste and survive even in extremely cold and dry climates.

It seems that the DNA of this bacterium is packed very tightly into the form of a circle. This means that even if the pieces of DNA break off due to radiation, they are eventually moved into position again.

The findings may also explain how life could survive in space and in harsher climates. However, it is unable to be a big help to humans, whose "DNA is structured in a fundamentally different manner."

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=sto...u=/nm/20030109/sc_nm/health_radiation_dc