While autoclaves were able to kill all known microorganisms, a new microbe has been discovered that can withstand the intense heat of autoclaving. The organism can reproduce at 121° C earning it the nickname Strain 121. Even after a full 24 hours in an autoclave the organisms had doubled in number rather than perish. The microorganism was discovered in a thermal vent 2.4 kilometers beneath the surface of the ocean. It is known to survive temperatures as high as 130° C. It is not reliant on oxygen, rather it uses iron to burn its food.