Strain 121 is able to live in temperatures above 266 degrees Fahrenheit. This redefined the boundaries of life because this is also the temperature at which medical devices were sterilized in an enclave. Thus starting a new way of sterilization.

Strain 121 was discovered in 2003 by Derek Lovley and Kazem Kashefi (Science (vol 301, p 934)) It was isolated from a hydrothermal vent. It was the first microbe to be found to survive and reproduce the temperature used in an autoclave cycle. The bacteria grows best at 106oC with a doubling time of around and hour. Temperatures of 130oC are bacteriostatic rather than bacteriocidal.

121 cubed = 121 x 121 x 121 = 1,771,561

121 multiplied by 121 is 14,641.

121