Cryomyces antarcticus
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Cryomyces antarcticus | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Fungi |
| Division: | Ascomycota |
| Class: | Dothideomycetes |
| Family: | incertae sedis |
| Genus: | Cryomyces |
| Species: | C. antarcticus |
| Binomial name | |
| Cryomyces antarcticus Selbmann, L.; Hoog, G.S. de; Mazzaglia, A.; Friedmann, E.I.; Onofri, S., 2005 | |
Cryomyces antarcticus is a fungus of uncertain placement in the class Dothideomycetes, division Ascomycota. Found in Antarctica, it was described as new to science in 2005.[1] It has been found to be able to survive the harsh outer space environment and cosmic radiation.[2] A proposed mechanistic contributor to the unique resilience observed in C. antarcticus is the presence of its thick and highly melanized cell walls.[3][4][5][6] This melanin may act to protect DNA from damage while C. antarcticus is exposed to conditions that are unsuitable for typical DNA repair systems to function.[3]
