For years scientists had thought that the water bear relied on a sugar called trehalose to preserve its cells during desiccation. They put the water bears into a humidity chamber and slowly dried them out, which resembled the type of conditions they might face in a pond or pool of water that is drying out. They found that when they disrupted the genes that created TDPs, the tardigrades no longer survived desiccation. These proteins protect the tardigrade in much the same way that trehalose sugar protects the brine shrimp, Dr. Boothby said. When they add water, the proteins melt into the liquid, and the molecules within the tardigrade are free to carry out their functions again.

Source: New York Times March 16, 2017 16:18 UTC