According to Associate Professor Chris Mason (Weill Cornell University – New York, USA), the biggest obstacle in human’s space conquest is that humans are very vulnerable and can’t live in a radiation environment. harshness of the distant universe and other planets.
Even the latest studies show that Mars, the planet thought to have once had life, possesses many Earth-like properties and is a close neighbor, still has enough radiation to kill or make astronauts. family with incurable disease.
Tardigrade, an organism that has not been changed by the Earth for 500 million years and is said to be immortal even in a vacuum space environment – (photo: DOTTED YET).
So an incredible hybridization – inserting the DNA of an organism that is more likely to survive than humans in space – into human cells – could help protect astronauts as they complete their mission in space. future. Associate Professor Mason said the creature that will help us is a small and familiar monster in previous scientific studies: the tardigrade, also known as a “water bear” or “water bear beetle”.
Unlike other creatures on earth, the Tardigrade family has not been altered by evolution since its appearance 500 million years ago. It is also said to be an immortal being because it seems that no harsh living conditions can kill it. In addition to being able to live anywhere on earth, tardigrade has also been shown to live in… a vacuum.
A few months ago, after Israel’s moon mission, many scientists suspected that the moon was made by us… to have life. Because some tardigrade may have followed this spacecraft up there and crashed again. With their “immortal” ability, they are definitely still alive and well!
The proposal of a shocking hybridization with tardigrade comes from the results of a prestigious NASA study of which Associate Professor Chris Mason is one of the key members, recently published.
That’s the study based on twin cosmonauts Mark Kelly and Scott Kelly, with previously identical genomes. Mr. Scott was sent to live for nearly a year on the International Space Station ISS, while Mr. Mark stayed on Earth. After that time, scientists found incredible changes in Mr. Scott’s genome, when compared with Mr. Mark. This change is thought to be caused by the outer space environment even though the ISS station is very close to home Earth.