Capable of handling extreme cold, acid, and dehydration, the microbe Deinococcus radiodurans handles doses of radiation that would kill a human tens of thousands of times over, earning it the nickname ‘Conan the Bacterium’ after the valiant pulp fantasy character.

The secret to micro-Conan’s strength lies in an assortment of highly potent antioxidants that mop up the mess of oxygen radicals before they can damage proteins critical to the cell’s repair process.