Ancient 'Superman' microbe's ability to withstand damage to its DNA...

The Chinese team took Haloferax mediterranei as their study subject, a species of archaea that may have formed the first life on the planet around 4 billion years ago. Photo: SCMP Pictures The earliest form of life on the planet may provide vital clues about how people can cope with environmental stress without increasing their chances of getting cancer, according to a new study by Chinese scientists.