Two native ionizing radiation-resistant bacteria were isolated and identified from a soil sample collected from extreme conditions of the Lout desert in Iran. The hottest land surface temperature has been recorded in the Lout desert from 2004 to 2009. Also, it is categorized as a hyper arid place. Both ionizing radiation and desiccation may cause damage on genome. Soil sample was irradiated in order to eliminate sensitive bacteria then cultured in one-tenth-strength tryptic soy broth medium. Bacterial suspension used for radiation treatment. Morphological and physiological characterization and phylogenetic studies based on 16S rRNA gene sequence were used for identification. The cells were rod shape, non-motile, non-spore forming and gram positive. The 16S rRNA gene sequence showed 99.5 % of similarity to Deinococcus ficus. Phylogenetic dendrogram demonstrated that the isolates branched with D. xibeiensis, D. ficus and D. mumbaiensis. Both isolates were resistant to >15 kGy of gamma radiation and >600 J m2 of UV radiation. This is the first report on radiation resistant bacteria belonging to genus Deinococcus isolated from the Lout desert of Iran.
