Researchers have discovered a molecular sensor that tells tardigrades it’s time to toughen up.
The tiny eight-legged animals, also known as water bears or moss piglets, are nearly invincible when dormant. When times get tough, the microscopic invertebrates curl into a ball called a tun. They pull in their legs, jettison water, turn their insides to glass, and slow their metabolism to imperceptible levels (SN: 12/16/15). In that state, tardigrades are able to withstand completely drying out, trips into space, X-rays and other extreme insults, but aren’t entirely bulletproof (SN: 7/13/22; SN: 6/2/21).
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