In their experiments, the geomicrobiologists subjected the bacteria to high doses of ultraviolet radiation -- either in the presence or the absence of the iron minerals the bacteria themselves produce. "In the presence of their own rust, considerably more bacteria survived and were active," says Tina Gauger. "We also saw that the bacterial cells' DNA suffered less damage. In our experiments, more bacteria survived with mineral sunscreen than without." The new findings are helping the researchers to understand how very early organisms survived despite the high level of radiation, and how life was even able to develop in shallow seas with sufficient sunlight.
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