Nematodes of the species Panagrolaimus kolymaensis, which spent about 46,000 years in a state of cryptobiosis in Siberian permafrost, have been successfully revived by Russian scientists in collaboration with foreign colleagues.
Samples of these roundworms were found in deposits near the Kolyma River. After being revived in the laboratory, the nematodes lived for about a month and gave rise to more than a hundred generations.
Researchers found that Panagrolaimus kolymaensis uses similar protective mechanisms to the modern species Caenorhabditis elegans, including the production of the sugar trehalose, which prevents damage from dehydration and low temperatures.
This discovery expands our understanding of the limits of life and the survival mechanisms of multicellular organisms in extreme conditions, demonstrating the remarkable resilience of life in deep anabiosis.
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