{"id":29564,"date":"2024-07-25T11:32:53","date_gmt":"2024-07-25T15:32:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/biology.mit.edu\/?p=29564"},"modified":"2024-07-25T11:56:42","modified_gmt":"2024-07-25T15:56:42","slug":"unusual-labmates-meet-tardigrades-the-crafters-of-natures-ultimate-survival-kit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/biology.mit.edu\/unusual-labmates-meet-tardigrades-the-crafters-of-natures-ultimate-survival-kit\/","title":{"rendered":"Unusual Labmates: Meet tardigrades, the crafters of nature’s ultimate survival kit"},"content":{"rendered":"

Tardigrades, also affectionately known as \u201cwater bears\u201d or \u201cmoss piglets\u201d, are remarkable microscopic organisms that have captured the imagination of scientists and nature enthusiasts alike.<\/p>\n

With adults measuring anywhere from 0.2 to 1.2 millimeters in length \u2014 as big as a grain of salt \u2014 tardigrades possess the astounding ability to survive harsh environmental conditions. These resilient creatures have been found in habitats ranging from the depths of oceans and hot radioactive springs to the frigid expanses of Antarctica. It is their unparalleled adaptability that makes them invaluable as a model organism for researchers like Whitehead Institute Member Sini\u0161a Hrvatin, who\u2019s studying physiological adaptation in animals with a focus on states that can slow down tissue damage, disease progression, and even aging.<\/p>\n

Follow along to learn what\u2019s behind tardigrades\u2019 nearly indestructible nature, how researchers at Whitehead Institute \u2014 and beyond \u2014 are studying them, and what insights this work can offer into long-term organ preservation, space exploration, and more.<\/p>\n

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Big discovery of a tiny creature<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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In 1773, German naturalist Johann August Ephraim Goeze was analyzing moss samples under a microscope when he stumbled upon an unusual creature. Captivated by its peculiar appearance, he continued his observations and documented the discovery of Kleiner Wasserb\u00e4r, translating to \u201clittle water bear\u201d, in his\u00a0publication.<\/a>\u00a0This work also featured the first-ever drawing of a tardigrade.<\/p>\n

Since then, researchers\u2019 understanding of this remarkable organism has evolved alongside advancements in imaging technology. Today, tardigrades are recognized as bilaterally symmetrical invertebrates with two eyes and eight chubby legs adorned with hook-like claws. Often described as a mix between nematodes and insects, these extremophiles are able to withstand freezing, intense radiation, vacuum of outer space, desiccation, chemical treatments, and possibly more.<\/p>\n

And the best part? Despite their otherworldly appearance and surprising capabilities, tardigrades share plenty of similarities with larger, more complex organisms, including possessing a primordial brain, muscles, and even a digestive system.<\/p>\n

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The biology of an extremophile<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Researchers trace the evolutionary origins of tardigrades back to panarthropods, a group that includes now-extinct worm-like organisms called lobopodians. To date, over a thousand species of tardigrades have been identified, with terrestrial species inhabiting environments like moss, leaf litter, and lichen, grassland, and deserts while aquatic ones are found in both fresh and saltwater.<\/p>\n

Little is known about tardigrades\u2019 diet but researchers are particularly drawn to herbivorous ones that like to munch on single-celled algae and thrive in water. There’s good reason for it: algae are inexpensive to grow in the lab with just light and basic nutrients. But it\u2019s not just their diet that makes tardigrades an attractive model organism \u2014 they also have a short generation time (11 to 14 days), with eggs hatching within a four-day span. In fact, some species are able to reproduce without sexual reproduction through a process called parthenogenesis, during which the female egg undergoes cell division without fertilization by a male gamete.<\/p>\n

Although genomic resources for studying tardigrades are limited to only a few species, researchers from Keio University and University of Edinburgh have successfully sequenced the genome of a moss-residing tardigrade commonly used in research called\u00a0Hypsibius exemplaris<\/em>. Its genome is less than half the size of a\u00a0Drosophila melanogaster<\/em>\u00a0genome, consisting of 105 million base pairs that serve as the building blocks of DNA.<\/p>\n

In spite of their small genome \u2014 and only a few thousand cells in the body \u2014 tardigrades have a well-defined miniaturized body plan, consisting of a head and four segments, that holds valuable insights for researchers looking to decode their adaptation prowess.<\/p>\n

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Inside tardigrade research at Whitehead Institute<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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In 2022, as Hrvatin was setting up his lab at Whitehead Institute, a question lingered in his mind. \u201cI was trying to find animals that can survive being frozen for long periods of time and then continue living,\u201d he says. \u201cBut there are not that many that fit the bill.\u201d<\/p>\n

Then, an undergraduate student at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) expressed her enthusiasm for astrobiology \u2014 the study of life across the universe \u2014 and highlighted tardigrades as a favorite among space researchers. Hrvatin was intrigued.<\/p>\n

Up until this point, his research had centered upon two states of dormancy, or reduced metabolic activity, in animals: hibernation and a shorter, less intense torpor. But tardigrades possessed a survival mechanism unlike any other. When faced with harsh conditions like dehydration, they would expel water, retract their head and legs, and curl up in a small, dry ball, entering a state of suspended animation called crytobiosis or tun formation.<\/p>\n

For decades, researchers hypothesized that the tun state might be responsible for tardigrades\u2019 unparalleled ability to withstand a myriad of environmental assaults, including extremely low temperature. However, recent work has revealed that these animals utilize a separate and unique adaptation, distinct from the tun state, to survive being frozen for extended periods. In fact, preliminary evidence from a\u00a0preprint<\/a>\u00a0by a team of scientists at UC Berkeley and UC San Francisco illustrates unique patterns of how tardigrades survive freezing while hydrated in water.<\/p>\n

This phenomenon is markedly different from hibernation and its cousin torpor. \u201cUnlike animals lowering their body temperature, we’re talking about putting tardigrades at minus 180 degrees Celsius, and then thawing them,\u201d says Hrvatin. In fact, cryobiosis is so intense that tardigrades\u2019 metabolic activity drops to undetectable levels, rendering them virtually, but not quite, dead. The organisms can then remain in this state from months to years, only to revive as healthy when conditions become favorable once again.<\/p>\n

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Frozen in time<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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In 2014, a group of Japanese researchers at Tokyo\u2019s National Institute for Polar Research undertook an intriguing experiment. They began by\u00a0thawing moss samples<\/a>\u00a0collected from East Antarctica in November 1983. Then, they carefully teased apart each sample using tweezers to retrieve tardigrades that might be nestled within. Among the tardigrades the researchers found, two stood out: Sleeping Beauty 1 and Sleeping Beauty 2 who were believed to be undergoing cold induced-dormancy. Turns out, the researchers were right \u2014 within the first day of being placed in the Petri dish with water, the tardigrades began exhibiting slow movements despite having been frozen for over 30 years.<\/p>\n

The Swiss army knife in tardigrades\u2019 toolbox<\/h2>\n
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Yet, the remarkable resilience of tardigrades continues to baffle scientists. Recently, they\u2019ve uncovered what could be another potential weapon in the creatures\u2019 arsenal: intrinsically disordered proteins or IDPs. Picture them as putty \u2014 a group of proteins that do not have a well-defined three-dimensional structure and can interact with other molecules to produce a range of different outcomes. Some researchers have linked these tardigrade-specific IDPs to the animals extraordinary resilience: under extreme heat, these proteins remain stable. And when desiccated, they form protective glasses that shield cells and vital enzymes from dehydration.<\/p>\n

If confirmed, the implications of this work would extend beyond tardigrades\u2019 survival, potentially revolutionizing dry vaccine storage and the development of drought-resistant crops.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Pausing the biological clock<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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This is just the tip of the iceberg \u2014 scientists have plenty more to discover about these microscopic organisms. At the Hrvatin lab, graduate student Aleksandar Markovski is working with six different species of tardigrades, with a particular focus on an aquatic species isolated from the bottom of a lake.<\/p>\n

Markovski’s work entails conducting a range of experiments aimed at unraveling tardigrades’ mysterious biology. This includes RNA-sequencing to understand how tardigrades recover after a freeze-thaw cycle; knocking-down and knocking-in genes to investigate the function and relevance of different genes and pathways; performing electron microscopy for high-resolution visualization of cellular structures and morphological changes that may be taking place in the frozen state.<\/p>\n

The ultimate goal of this work, Markovski says, is to extend the shelf life of humans. \u201cWhenever someone donates an organ, it can be stored for hours on ice. Then, unless someone in close proximity is in need of that organ and is compatible, the organ has to be thrown away,\u201d he adds. \u201cBut if you were able to freeze those organs and transplant them whenever needed, that would be revolutionary.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Achilles heel<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Tardigrades are best known for surviving in the margins of typical life, but they also share a surprising vulnerability with humans and most other organisms: climate change. Entering the tun state to withstand high temperatures requires desiccation. If the water temperature goes up before the tardigrades have had the opportunity to dry out, they\u2019re stuck in a vulnerable state, where they can ultimately succumb to heat.<\/p>\n

But all is not lost. Tardigrades, the first microscopic interstellar travelers capable of surviving vacuum and radiation in outer space, are also paving the path for human space exploration with a protein called\u00a0Damage suppressor<\/a>\u00a0or Dsup, which binds to DNA and shields it from reactive forms of oxygen.<\/p>\n

Researchers are drawing hope and inspiration from their unparalleled persistence, envisioning that these organisms cannot only ensure their survival but also aid humanity.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Tardigrades, also affectionately known as \u201cwater bears\u201d or \u201cmoss piglets\u201d, are remarkable microscopic organisms that have captured the imagination of scientists and nature enthusiasts alike. With adults measuring anywhere from 0.2 to 1.2 millimeters in length \u2014 as big as a grain of salt \u2014 tardigrades possess the astounding ability to survive harsh environmental conditions. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1783,"featured_media":29565,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6212,6221,6240],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-29564","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-briefs","category-whitehead-institute","category-whitehead-institute-faculty-locations","placement-placement-homepage","research-area-cell-biology","research-area-genetics","research-area-neurobiology"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nUnusual Labmates: Meet tardigrades, the crafters of nature's ultimate survival kit - MIT Department of Biology<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/biology.mit.edu\/unusual-labmates-meet-tardigrades-the-crafters-of-natures-ultimate-survival-kit\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Unusual Labmates: Meet tardigrades, the crafters of nature's ultimate survival kit\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Tardigrades, also affectionately known as \u201cwater bears\u201d or \u201cmoss piglets\u201d, are remarkable microscopic organisms that have captured the imagination of scientists and nature enthusiasts alike. 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