Indeed, tardigrades are nicknamed water bears because they are aquatic animals, making it all the more puzzling that they can persist without this vital substance for years at a time.
To shed light on this superpower, researchers led by Akihiro Tanaka, a graduate student in biological sciences at the University of Tokyo, studied structures called cytoplasmic-abundant heat soluble (CAHS) proteins.
The team revealed that these proteins can form protective substances akin to gels that contribute to the exceptional physical stability in a dehydrated state seen in tardigrades, a finding that may have implications for human medical treatments and technologies, according to a study published in the journal PLOS Biology on Tuesday.
Although water is essential to all life we know of, some tardigrades can live without it potentially for decades, said Takekazu Kunieda, an associate professor at the University of Tokyo and the senior author of the study, in a statement.
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