Mmastodon ScienceScience first seen 8 d ago, last 8 d ago, peak #3
Tardigrades survive space vacuum through molecular engineering
Original: How microscopic tardigrades survive the brutal vacuum of outer space using pure molecular engineering. No mysticism, jus
Tardigrades, the microscopic animals known as water bears, can endure the vacuum and radiation of outer space, and new attention is focused on how they do it. Scientists point to specialized proteins that protect their cells by stabilizing DNA and forming glass-like structures when they dry out, rather than any mysterious mechanism. The explanation is being shared as a striking example of pure biology and molecular engineering at work in one of nature's toughest organisms.
Why now: Fascination with how one of Earth's hardiest animals can survive conditions lethal to almost all other life.
Evidence
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