The story
Blend of Conan the Barbarian + bacterium. A play on Conan the Barbarian. From the hardy warrior Conan of Cimmeria created by Robert E. Howard, and his most popular muscular incarnation portrayed by Arnold Schwarzenegger in 1980s films. Where this bacteria, Deinococcus radiodurans, also exhibits qualities of extreme hardiness.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.