Microscopic Bugs Survive in Space

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What’s creepier than a microscopic bug with a nozzle for a face? A hose-faced nano-caterpillar in space. The tardigrade, or water bear, recently became the first known animal to survive the hazards of outer space. These little, awkward-looking dudes are so compact and efficiently built that you can launch them into a vacuum and they just won’t care. They apparently can take the cold emptiness of the final frontier for months at a time without dying. An Italian space research group called Project Biokis is currently at work determining which tiny critters can survive without an atmosphere. They’re looking at the molecules of microscopic animals as they deprive them of earthly pleasures like air and water. The goal is to study how animal cells react to extreme dehydration and cosmic radiation. The project scientists will also be on the lookout for any changes to the organisms’ genetic code that might be caused by extreme stress. Tardigrades manage to survive environments that would kill most reasonable creatures by shutting down their essential biological processes. They essentially contain cryogenic equipment within their microscopic bodies, putting themselves into a state of extreme hibernation when the going gets rough. The hibernation state is called cryptobiosis. When in cryptobiosis, tardigrades can counteract freezing and dessication by releasing a series of sugars, antioxidants, and proteins that protect their cells. Because they’re not made of a whole lot of cells, the organisms can effectively secrete a sort of chemical armor to keep themselves intact. It’s a pretty neat little system. Project Biokis scientists are currently testing how it holds up under increasing levels of space radiation. While dryness and cold may be hazards that the water bears have evolved to survive, radiation may be a different story. The animal’s natural bioprotectants might not be enough to stave off damage to genetic code. Whether the tardigrade is invulnerable to radiation or just the vacuum of space, the project hopefully will provide insight as to how to protect more complex organisms–like, say, people–from outer space’s deathly emptiness. I kind of dig the idea of chemical spacesuits and extreme hibernation in case we need to jettison off this rock anytime soon. Who knew we could learn so much from something so funny-looking?