Tardigrades, commonly known as water bears, may be better suited by a new name: Tardiguardians of the Galaxy. Unlike the fictional ragtag team of unenthusiastic heroes, the microscopic animals are providing real insight into how humans could adapt extraterrestrial resources to support space exploration, as well as whether such resources could help protect against the Earthly contaminants that humans might shed.
Co-led by Penn State Altoona Professor of Microbiology Corien Bakermans, an international research team recently found that tardigrade activity—a key indicator of their health—was significantly reduced when they were placed in simulated Martian regolith. That's the loose mineral deposits covering a planet's or moon's bedrock, similar to soil on Earth. However, simply washing the regolith with water prior to introducing the tardigrades appeared to remove some harmful element and mostly mitigate the impact on their activity. The findings, published in the International Journal of Astrobiology, are a small step towards a giant leap for humanity, according to Bakermans.
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