Gel-forming proteins could help tardigrades survive extreme conditions

Tardigrade proteins form a gel when subjected to cold or desiccation – a mechanisms that could help the microscopic animals survive conditions that kill most other forms of life.

The half-millimetre-long tardigrades are among the most resilient animals in the world. Depending on the species, they can withstand temperatures as high as 150°C and as low as close to absolute zero, as well as exposure to radiation, dehydration and even the vacuum of outer space. The animals simply go into a dormant state and revive when conditions become hospitable again. How exactly they do this is still not entirely clear.