[ad_1]
Roundworms are Remarkably Resistant
Researchers have now discovered that sediment permafrost samples contain nematodes, which began to move and eat after thawing. Roundworms have been frozen over the past 40,000 years, setting a record for the lifespan of an animal that has survived cryogenic conservation.
Researchers at the Moscow State University discovered that roundworms contained permafrost. able to survive a cryogenic conservation of more than 40 000 years. The doctors published the results of their study in the English newspaper "Doklady Biological Sciences".
Worms began to live again a few weeks after thawing
Roundworms in the permafrost began to move and feed a few weeks after thawing. In addition to revealing new cryogenic conservation limits, the results can also be important in preserving our own tissues, say the authors.
More than 300 samples have been studied
Russian biologists have dug for their own account. They investigated more than 300 samples of frozen soil from different ages and places and sent them back to their laboratory in Moscow for further study. Samples taken in remote areas of northeastern Russia contained nematodes of two different genera that the researchers placed in Petri dishes containing a nutrient medium
The oldest sample had about 42,000 years
degrees Celsius until they gradually showed the first signs of life. Some of the worms belonging to the genus Panagrolaimus were found 30 meters underground, in an old mound that collapsed about 32,000 years ago. Other specimens of the genus Plectus were found in a drill sample at a depth of about 3.5 meters only. Carbon dating was then used to determine that the sample is about 42,000 years old, the researchers explain. Contamination of the samples can not be ruled out, but the researchers say that they followed strict procedures of infertility.
The animals were really frozen
These worms are not known to dig deep into permafrost, normally the seasonal thaw is limited to about 80 centimeters. There was also no sign of thawing possible beyond a depth of 1.5 meters while the temperature was about 9000 years warmer, say the doctors. This makes scientists more or less sure that these worms have really been frozen for a very long time.
Bacterial renaissance of old organisms is not new
The revival of old organisms is not new in itself. In 2000, scientists extracted spores of Bacillus bacteria that were hidden in salt crystals 250 million years old. Specialists were able to bring these bacteria to life at this time
More research is needed
Survival is certainly impressive, but unfortunately we can not apply vital bacteria stuff to our complicated tissues. Finding animals that can survive for tens of thousands of years is a really interesting discovery that should be explored further, say the authors of the study.
Results Can Lead to Cryopreservation
Roundworms are known to be sturdy creatures. The nematodes have been revived in 39-year-old herbarium specimens, but until now nothing has been observed of similar magnitude. Close relatives of roundworms, known as tardigrades, are also known to survive extreme conditions and to repair damaged DNA. Even with these creatures, a state of conservation has never been observed for so long, allowing survival after freezing. The current late record is about 30 years old. Learn more about the biochemical mechanisms used by nematodes to limit ice damage and prevent the destruction of DNA over millennia could pave the way for better cryopreservation technologies.
Mechanisms of adaptation are very interesting for Science
Other organisms have been studied to convert their fluids to ice, such as wood frogs. So maybe someday, human tissue could be frozen for transplants. Maybe even the whole body could be frozen and later relaunched, experts speculate. Pleistocene nematodes have coping mechanisms that may be of scientific and practical importance in related scientific fields, such as cryomedicine, cryobiology and astrobiology, say scientists
Can permafrost Does it also release dangerous pathogens? the current find also has a much darker side. It is feared that melting permafrost will release pathogens already frozen tens of thousands of years ago. Nematodes are not particularly disturbing, but their survival is evidence that a variety of organisms, from bacteria to animals and plants through mushrooms, could possibly come back after a long absence. What this means for the surrounding ecosystems, is not yet in sight, say the researchers. However, it remains to be hoped that ice melting from Siberia releases only harmless worms and not dangerous pathogens. (As)
[ad_2]
Source link
