SPONSORED BY  | | | | August 14, 2024: Mysterious droplets float in living cells, how tardigrades can survive basically anywhere, and an ocean under Mars's surface. —Andrea Gawrylewski, Chief Newsletter Editor | | | This tardigrade, imaged by scanning electron microscope, is less than 0.1 millimeter across. Steve Gschmeissner/Science Photo Library | | | Tardigrades are tough as nails. The microscopic animals can survive the vacuum of space, and temps near absolute zero. To determine how they protect themselves, researchers exposed tardigrades to stress-inducing, free-radical-producing conditions, such as high levels of salt, sugar and hydrogen peroxide. In response, the tardigrades curled up into a temporary, protective state of dormancy called a tun. When they enter the tun state, they temporarily shut down their metabolism. Other survival tactics: Exposure to dehydration or radiation can damage DNA. Tardigrades produce a protein called Dsup, that binds to the DNA's chromatin and shields the DNA from attack by radicals, helping the animals survive in the most extreme environments. (When Dsup is artificially inserted into human cells in the laboratory, it makes those cells more resistant to x-ray radiation. How cool!)
What the experts say: "They're masters of protecting themselves," says Derrick Kolling, a chemist at Marshall University. | | | We all learned about membrane-enclosed organelles inside plant and animal cells during high school biology class: For example, the nucleus contains the organism's genetic material and mitochondria power the cell. But not all organelles have membranes enclosing them–some exist in the cell's cytoplasm as concentrations of proteins or other biomolecules. These "biomolecular condensates" exist like bubbles of oil in water.
How it works: Biomolecular condensates form when the thermodynamic energy balance within cells is favorable. They are also part of crucial biological processes. For example, green algae have a biomolecular condensate called a pyrenoid within each chloroplast that has a high concentration of enzymes needed to convert carbon dioxide into sugar for energy.
What the experts say: "Their physics is somewhat of a mystery," writes Trevor Grandpre, a postdoctoral fellow at the Center for the Physics of Biological Function. "Why don't these little workers need walls to keep them contained, and how do they keep their elements separate from the cytoplasm around them?" | | | • Geophysicists discovered a gigantic hidden ocean beneath Mars's surface, and they say it could harbor life. | 3 min read | | | • Many researchers who study psychedelics are criticizing the FDA's recent negative ruling on MDMA therapy for PTSD, saying the agency ignored solid overall results from clinical trials. | 9 min read | | | • When debris from a SpaceX craft fell on a farm near her house, astronomer Samantha Lawler went on a mission to get someone to clean up the mess. It wasn't easy. | 17 min listen | | | SPONSORED CONTENT BY THE DAILY UPSIDE | Looking for a way to stay on top of the world's latest business news? | Meet The Daily Upside, a free, no-BS newsletter from Wall Street insiders delivering actionable insights on the latest finance and investing news. Skip the clickbait and stay informed. Join over 1 million readers and try it for free today. | | | • Quantum computing undergirds chemistry, biology, engineering and beyond. But the supply of quantum computing experts and workers remains low. If we have any hope of creating a technology-literate population and developing a workforce for this emerging field, we need to teach quantum physics in more classrooms, writes Olivia Lanes, North American lead of IBM Quantum Community. Without these efforts, the more "we all stand to lose the immense benefits quantum [science] could bring to our economy, technology and future industries," she says. | 5 min read. | | | • Opening new grocery stores isn't enough to solve the problem of food deserts. | ProPublica | | | • Collectors of ancient art and artifacts rarely look into the origin of their finds, and some may have been stolen from their true owners. | The New York Times | | | • This health clinic promised to improve health care in jails. But its policies have led to the death of dozens of patients so far. | The Marshall Project | | | The old adage goes that if the world is ever destroyed in a nuclear accident or war, then only the cockroaches will survive. But I doubt the tardigrades agree with that. They are scrappy and tough, and they continue to surprise researchers with their resilience. AND they have a following of human admirers who find them cute and delightful (their common names are "water bear" and "moss piglet"). | —Andrea Gawrylewski, Chief Newsletter Editor | | Subscribe to this and all of our newsletters . | | | | Scientific American
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