TARDIGRADE CRYPTOBIOTIC
STRATEGIES VS.
MICROGRAVITY
Acknowledgments: Local Partners, Advisors,
and Funders
The Ahmanson Foundation
Ms. Trojanowski
Dr. James M. Lally
William Saito (Cabinet Office
Ms. Curry
(Government of Japan),
Ministry of Education - Central Council for
Education)
Dr. Michael Williams
Dr. Tas Dienes
(Pomona College)
(Chief Technology
Officer at SmartAction)
Martina Ramirez
University)
(Loyola Marymount
Professor Jonathan Wright
CASIS
Subaru of America, Inc.
Research Team
Co-Principal Investigators
Ashwin Balaji (Grade 12)
Garrett Souza (Grade 12)
David Washington (Grade 12)
Investigator
Richard Conti (Grade 12)
Collaborator
Aaditya Patel (Grade 12)
Teacher Facilitator
Ms. Trojanowski, Damien High School Teacher
Evolution of Tardigrades
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The ability to undergo
cryptobiosis suggests that
tardigrades evolved in an
unstable and rigorous
environment
Tardigrades cryptobiotic abilities
and tolerance to rigorous
environments suggests they
could have evolved in an
extraterrestrial environment
The Cryptobiotic Process
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●
When faced with adverse
environmental conditions
tardigrades shut down all
metabolic processes and enter
into a wrinkled “tun” state, as
seen on the left. Once
reintroduced to hospitable
conditions, the process is
reversed
Initial Ground Truth
Experiment: 20 of 23 specimens
exhibited mobility after 10 days
in a cryptobiotic state
Experiment Procedure
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●
●
Two sets of tardigrades, one
desiccated in moss and one in a
cryptobiotic state on wax paper,
will be sent to the ISS
Another two sets, identical to
those on the ISS, will be studied
on Earth
At the end of the trial period, all
tardigrades will be returned to
a hydrated state, and their
survival rate will be compared
to that of the ground
experiment
Finding Specimens
● Initial procedure used Carolina Biological as a source of tardigrades
● After several trials, and contacting the lead biologist at Carolina
Biological, it was determined that the ability to enter into a
cryptobiotic state adapted out of their culture
● The specimens used in the experiment were gathered from the
foothills of Glendora, CA
● A Baermann funnel was used to isolate the tardigrades from the moss
● Three species of tardigrades were native to the Glendora foothills and
used in the experiment: Milnesium tardigradum, Echiniscus testudo,
and Macrobiotus occidentalis
Experimental Implications
●
●
If tardigrades are able to
survive a prolonged period of
exposure to microgravity, it is
possible that they could have
originated from an
extraterrestrial environment.
Furthermore, if the cryptobiotic
state sufficiently protects
tardigrades from the adverse
conditions of space, this could
present a possible mechanism
by which humans can survive
the longevity and physical rigors
of deep space travel