The ability of tardigrades to tolerate radiation is better understood

The ability of tardigrades to resist the negative effects of radiation is now better understood thanks to the work of American researchers at the University of North Carolina.

The ability of this microscopic animal to survive in harsh environments was known, but science has struggled to explain its ability to withstand intense exposure to radiation that destroys DNA and endangers the lives of humans and most animals.

In fact, as early as the 1960s, French scientists observed that tardigrades could survive exposure to intense doses of ionizing radiation up to about 1,000 times greater than the lethal dose for humans.

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Hypsibius exemplaris does indeed experience DNA damage during gamma irradiation, and we have discovered how to repair this damage, “text”:We have demonstrated that tardigrade Hypsibius exemplaris does indeed experience DNA damage during gamma irradiation, and we have discovered how this damage is repaired”}}”>We have proven that tardigrades Typical Hepsibius It actually undergoes DNA damage during gamma irradiation, and we've figured out how to repair this damageexplained in a press release Bob Goldstein and colleagues, whose work is published in the journal Current biology (A new window) (in English).