Thursday, 26 November 2015

The tardigrade genome has been sequenced, and it has the most foreign DNA of any animal


The tardigrade genome has been sequenced, and it has the most foreign DNA of any animal
Scientists have sequenced the entire genome of the tardigrade, AKA the water bear, for the first time. And it turns out that this weird little creature has the most foreign genes of any animal studied so far – or to put it another way, roughly one-sixth of the tardigrade’s genome was stolen from other species. 

A little background here for those who aren’t familiar with the strangeness that is the tardigrade – the microscopic water creature grows to just over 1 mm on average, and is the only animal that can survive in the harsh environment of space. It can also withstand temperatures from just above absolute zero to well above the boiling point of water, can cope with ridiculous amounts of pressure and radiation, and can live for more than 10 years without food or water. Basically, it’s nearly impossible to kill, and now scientists have shown that its DNA is just as bizarre as it is.

Paper:
http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2015/11/18/1510461112

Article:
http://www.sciencealert.com/the-tardigrade-genome-has-been-sequenced-and-it-has-the-most-foreign-dna-of-any-animal

#research   #genome   #dna   #tardigrade
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50 comments:

  1. المنير كاظم26 November 2015 at 22:20

    حلو

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  2. Rock On26 November 2015 at 22:23

    Panspermia is real! The ancestors of the Tardigrade splashed down in Panthalassa shortly after Europa was hit by a meteor - or so the story goes.

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  3. Redd Davis26 November 2015 at 22:33

    You have a Happy Thanksgiving.

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  4. Redd Davis26 November 2015 at 22:34

    Wonderful sweet.

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  5. Sharon Reid26 November 2015 at 22:38

    Seems like the perfect pet to me, except the microscopic part.

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  6. Rock On26 November 2015 at 22:47

    Sharon Reid  Seems like the perfect nightmare if it was the size of a dog. XD

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  7. Sharon Reid26 November 2015 at 22:48

    Yeah, those claws though. I was thinking more of mouse to hamster size.

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  8. Rock On26 November 2015 at 22:49

    I know. Just joking.Lolz

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  9. Sharon Reid26 November 2015 at 22:51

    Actually, since they're water creatures, tetra to medium goldfish would be nice.

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  10. Corina Marinescu26 November 2015 at 22:56

    I'd go for the fish size Sharon Reid 
    Would look nice between all the jars with specimens in my lab :D
    Now, who wants to donate me his brain or rib cage? ;)

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  11. Shannon Contrenchis26 November 2015 at 23:36

    The water bear

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  12. Sam Collett26 November 2015 at 23:53

    Maybe they did come from space and are tiny aliens? Might discover more of them, or something similar on a comet or moon. The origin of life on Earth...

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  13. Rock On27 November 2015 at 00:01

    Yes indeed. What evolutionary mechanism gave this creature the ability to survive in space if not for space itself? I would experiment to see how long this little bugger could survive in space as a means to determine its origin; however, the 10 years without food is telling. Lolz

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  14. Robert Vari (RoVa)27 November 2015 at 00:05

    We are looking for aliens on other planets. Meanwhile lots of them lives here in a spoonful of water.

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  15. James Glisson27 November 2015 at 00:05

    This sparks a series of interesting questions... If a species were to wish to become as hardy as the tardigrade, would it by necessity need to reduce its size to something similar? And if so, would intelligence be transferable to a body that size? Would tools be practical or even necessary at this size or simplicity of life? Just idle speculation... Nothing practical, simply amusing to ponder.

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  16. Sam Collett27 November 2015 at 00:06

    Perhaps they eat each other...

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  17. Lillian Rodriguez27 November 2015 at 00:34

    So cool

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  18. kamali green27 November 2015 at 01:19

    Crazy little critter, but so freaky looking,I'm glad I can't see one, I'd probably run for my life,,,,lol

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  19. Keith Olszewski27 November 2015 at 04:34

    Amazing adaptive, the gift of foreign DNA.

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  20. ThePrehistoricMaster27 November 2015 at 05:39

    Maybe it's not even from earth.

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  21. jada Buisserth27 November 2015 at 06:04

    Wtf

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  22. Jimena Kiely27 November 2015 at 07:19

    keith kiely​ this is so disturbing 😱😱😱😱😱

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  23. Rachid Boulbaroud27 November 2015 at 07:59

    الله اكبر يخلق الله ما يشاء

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  24. Samuel Smith27 November 2015 at 08:53

    If you are looking for a fun water pet I highly recommend Triops L. Three eyed shrimp that only live a few months but the eggs can last twenty years and hatch when given water. Diapause for fun and species longevity!
    Tardigrades would be fascinating as goldfish size. They are fascinating anyway, just hard to see.

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  25. Tamara Lombardi27 November 2015 at 10:46

    Wow that is amazing

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  26. Ahmed Alshammari27 November 2015 at 15:06

    سبحااان الله

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  27. Adelynd Datuin27 November 2015 at 16:04

    first time too see it..

    ReplyDelete
  28. อำนวย สุขขุมนัย27 November 2015 at 16:22

    เฮ้ย..มึงตัวไร

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  29. Anmar DeLiefde27 November 2015 at 19:55

    Fascinating stuff

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  30. Phoenix MULTI-GAMER28 November 2015 at 04:34

    WTF

    ReplyDelete
  31. Dinora Ruiz28 November 2015 at 05:22

    Que feo, parece un puerquito defectuoso

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  32. Samantha Vanekelenburg28 November 2015 at 06:13

    Doesnt look like itz a real video clip in any way... shape... or form!!!... Is the centipede-lookn mammal discovery they r shown swimn or tryn 2 walk... lookz like some1 inbread some sealz/otterz n got this creation w birth defectz/differenceZ... Still amaming if it is in fact a living breathing body... Not intended in N.E.way 2 offend or belittle others n their veiwz/opinion... jst my prospective... ;}

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  33. rosy harding28 November 2015 at 06:58

    Just surprise!

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  34. Teresa Taca28 November 2015 at 16:04

    Very cool

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  35. Hatice Bayrakci29 November 2015 at 01:57

    ]

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  36. Eyüp özer29 November 2015 at 10:40

    Thanks

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  37. Sean Walker29 November 2015 at 11:12

    That's very cool in many ways. The tardigrade's ability to come back from such a desiccated state. Its DNA fragmenting and then being stitched back together. And finally this being the likely mechanism for its horizontal transfer of genes.

    So it's a show of strength falling apart and putting yourself back together again.  :)

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  38. Daniel Soto Vargas29 November 2015 at 16:10


    Que es un genome

    ReplyDelete
  39. Daniel Soto Vargas29 November 2015 at 16:11

    En español

    ReplyDelete
  40. Brendon LeCount29 November 2015 at 20:58

    Wonder bar

    ReplyDelete
  41. Robert Duncan30 November 2015 at 13:09

    ??

    ReplyDelete
  42. ضياء العلياني1 December 2015 at 08:42

    عاتاننممت

    ReplyDelete
  43. 李成义1 December 2015 at 18:36

    good Nice

    ReplyDelete
  44. Donald Feger2 December 2015 at 02:20

    That is sooo cool!!!

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  45. rosy harding2 December 2015 at 10:48

    very strange about that!

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  46. Daniel Soto Vargas4 December 2015 at 13:34

    Rosy that gemeno

    ReplyDelete
  47. Cid Cyber4 December 2015 at 15:44

    lindo, fantástico e estranho!!

    ReplyDelete
  48. Tineke Reijgersberg5 December 2015 at 03:11

    Ze zijn toch nog te vinden ?
    Bij een waterput of zo.

    ReplyDelete
  49. Daniel Soto Vargas6 December 2015 at 16:47

    Goo afternun gemeno

    ReplyDelete
  50. Daniel Soto Vargas6 December 2015 at 16:49

    Dog gemeno like

    ReplyDelete

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