Living organisms need an energy source, water, and a reasonably stable environment in order to survive. Most lifeforms are very particular about where they live and have limited ranges, but a few can ...

This tardigrade is sporting a new “tattoo” — represented in this magnified image by the highlighted dots, and visible in the inset image. If you haven’t heard of a tardigrade before, prepare to be ...

If you're going to try "tattooing" a microscopic animal, it would make sense to select one of the toughest creatures on the planet. That's exactly what scientists have done with the tardigrade, and ...

Far below the ocean’s surface, where sunlight disappears and pressure reaches crushing levels, some of the planet’s strangest ...

I last wrote about extremophiles—creatures that thrive in environments that are extremely hot, cold, salty, acidic, alkaline, radioactive, and so forth—not just because these critters are interesting ...

A model of a tardigrade at the American Museum of Natural History in New York. Tardigrades turn out to be masters of molecular repair. Tardigrades are a reminder that even the smallest creatures can ...

A newly discovered protein from Earth’s toughest animal is inspiring breakthrough therapies for cancer and cardiovascular disease. Tardigrades, often called water bears or moss piglets, are ...

Gear-obsessed editors choose every product we review. We may earn commission if you buy from a link. Why Trust Us? Here’s what you’ll learn when you read this story: Tardigrades are the hardiest ...

(a-d) Optical images of the tardigrade with Pt patterns transitioning from an anhydrobiosis state to an active state under suitable conditions. Shooting time interval is about 4 min. Images of the ...

(THE CONVERSATION) A newly discovered protein from Earth’s toughest animal is inspiring breakthrough therapies for cancer and cardiovascular disease. In 2016, researchers uncovered one of the ...