A desiccant is a hygroscopic (attracts and holds water) substance that induces or sustains such a state in its local vicinity in a moderately sealed container.
These materials are obtained in a hydrated state, but the water content leads to corrosion or is incompatible with downstream processing.
[3] Radiation resistance is considered to be an incidental consequence of the organism's evolutionary adaptation to dehydration, a common physiological stress in nature.
[4] DNA double-strand breaks are repaired principally by a RecA-dependent recombination process that requires the presence of two genome copies.
[5] NHEJ appears to be the preferred pathway for repairing double-strand breaks caused by desiccation during the stationary phase.
Upon exposure to extreme dryness, Bacillus subtilis endospores acquire DNA-double strand breaks and DNA-protein crosslinks.