Tardigrades, as the water bears are more prosaically known, have long fascinated scientists with their veritable superpowers of survival. Photo: AFP/NatureParis: A protein unique to a miniscule creature called a water bear, reputedly the most indestructible animal on Earth, protects human DNA from X-ray damage, stunned researchers reported on Tuesday. Human cells cultivated with the newly-discovered protein, dubbed “Dsup” for “damage suppressor”, experienced half as much decay as normal cells when blasted with radiation. Tardigrades, as the water bears are more prosaically known, have long fascinated scientists with their veritable superpowers of survival. In an earlier experiment, water bears were given a 26-hour bath in -253 degree Celsius (-423 degree Fahrenheit) liquid nitrogen.

Source: Mint September 20, 2016 16:07 UTC