Paracoccus Denitrificans Survived Crushing Gravity

In 2011, scientists in Japan found that the common soil bacterium Paracoccus denitrificans could survive, grow, and reproduce inside an ultracentrifuge at up to 403,627 times Earth’s gravity. The team spun several bacteria at extreme speeds and found that small prokaryotic cells handled hypergravity better than larger organisms. Paracoccus denitrificans showed robust growth under forces usually associated with cosmic environments such as massive stars or supernova shock waves.

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