09:24, July 9, 2026

Such "stress" can prepare bacteria to survive in harsh conditions

According to Ural Federal University experts, extremely small doses of X-ray radiation make bacteria work more actively and, probably, such "stress" prepares bacteria for survival in harsh conditions. The researchers published the results of the experiments on lactic acid bacteria and leaven in the International Journal of Radiation Biology. The work was carried out with the support of the Priority 2030 program.

Scientists tested various doses of radiation – 60, 80 and 120 cGY (such a dose can be obtained from the natural radiation background in 300-500 years) – on baker's leaven (previously) and beneficial lactic acid bacteria (Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus bulgaricus), which are used in the food industry to produce, in particular, thermostatic yoghurts. Experiments have shown that the enzymatic activity of the starter changes; in other words, yogurt matures faster.

"The main goal for the future is to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the effects of low doses of radiation on biological objects. We want to understand how such 'stress' can be used to prepare the body for survival in harsh conditions, for example, with subsequent exposure to higher doses, and where else, besides the food industry, such an effect can be usefully applied," says Ruslan Vazirov, one of the authors of the study, senior researcher at the UrFU Department of Experimental Physics.

Scientists warn that it is too early to talk about the use of irradiators in production on an industrial scale.

"So far, we have not come up with a ready-made technology for factories, but we have only proved that radiation in small doses has a positive effect on bacteria. Now we are looking for a middle ground: what kind of dose to give in order to get the desired result, and we are looking into exactly what happens to the bacteria. It is too early to talk about the exact figures of savings or efficiency. Only when we study all the processes in detail will we be able to think about the application. But since yoghurts are produced all over the world, this method can be used in any country in the future," adds Irina Selezneva, one of the authors of the study, associate professor of the Department of Organic Synthesis Technology.

Delfina Zakharova 

Ural Federal University is one of the leading universities in Russia founded in 1920. UrFU is located in Yekaterinburg, the capital of the Ural region, an economic, industrial, scientific and cultural center of Russia. The university is the project office of the Ural Interregional Research and Education Center "Advanced Industrial Technologies and Materials" designed for solving tasks of "Science" National Project.