Penn State researchers are taking the unique resilience of tardigrades, or ‘water bears’, as the basis for evaluating how the living organisms would respond and protect Martian resources. These microscopic extremophiles are known for their ability to survive in the vacuum of space; However, this study focuses primarily on their molecular response to Martian conditions and the specific types of proteins that tardigrades use to protect their DNA and cellular structures. Researchers are gaining important information regarding biotechnology applications that can be used for future space missions by studying the proteins produced by tardigrades. This information will not only help identify conditions for potential habitability on other planets, but will also provide a model for developing flexible, bio-inspired materials that can be used to protect critical infrastructure and biological properties on the surface of Mars.
Habit hack: How ‘water bears’ survive the stress of Mars
Tardigrades are known for their ability to enter a state of dormancy called cryptobiosis, but Penn State researchers are looking at the very specific molecular mechanisms that allow them to do so. Researchers have identified a new class of ‘disordered proteins’ without a well-defined three-dimensional structure, which appear to form a biological glass around the DNA and other vital cellular components of tardigrades when they experience extreme stress (for example, excessive radiation or low humidity from a Martian-like environment). This glass covering is probably preventing the cells from breaking down or being permanently damaged in the harsh environment of Mars.
Water bears are turning protein into protection
The findings of this research suggest that water bears’ survival strategies could be used to create protective coatings for valuable resources on Mars. By investigating how these microbes stabilize their biological materials, the researchers hope to create bio-inspired coatings that could protect sensitive technologies such as electronics and pharmaceuticals from degradation caused by cosmic radiation and extreme temperatures – effectively moving from passive observation of biological systems to engineering ‘active protective systems’ that would lead to a significant change in how we think about sustaining human life on Mars long-term.Understanding how tardigrades adapt serves as an experimental framework when developing resilient infrastructure for Mars. The Penn State University team reports that biosynthetic analogs of the broken down protein could potentially be synthesized to create self-repairing or ultra-durable materials for housing construction. By designing similar organizational systems and methods that replicate these types of natural protection systems, future missions will eliminate the need to use large amounts of heavy shielding on spacecraft and will be able to use lightweight bio-compatible polymeric materials that react to their environment in the same way a tardigrade reacts when transitioning to its ‘tuned’ state, therefore providing longer-lasting, more successful building solutions.
biological map of mars
By demonstrating that organisms from planet Earth can use specific molecular pathways to survive in environments such as Mars, this research is expanding the definition of what can be habitable; It also creates a reference point from which to assess the potential for other extraterrestrial bodies to be deemed habitable. In short, if we can adapt these biological models, the means of survival on Mars could be viewed as biologically engineered rather than survival by mechanical endurance alone. For NASA, this biological infrastructure will be essential in pursuing its long-term plans to establish a sustained human presence on the Moon and eventually Mars.