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Unlocking Tardigrade Secrets: How Water Bears Repair Their DNA After Radiation
STEM Snacks
Steve Burgess
April 20, 2024
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Repair Bears
Tardigrades rely heavily on their toolbox for survival. Researchers discovered how water bears repair DNA damage.
Tardigrade = micro-animals that survive in extreme environments
Radiation triggers DNA repair proteins like TDR1
TDR1 = tardigrade DNA damage response protein 1
This finding challenges the previous belief that tardigrade survivability relied primarily on radiation resilience. Learning more about how TDR1 performs during hibernation could lead to enhanced radiation protection for humans. Or maybe just repair that leaky faucet
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Learning how tardigrades repair their DNA might one day help us with radiation protection. Or at least help me recover from watching reality TV.
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