Zombie Worms Brought Back to Life

Russian scientists excavated a fragment of 24,000-year-old Siberian permafrost that had remained frozen since at least the end of the Pleistocene epoch. After gradually thawing the permafrost, they noticed microscopic wheel animals known as bdelloid rotifers, which resumed their lives and reproduction. The organisms had been in a long-term cryptobiotic state, where they suspended their metabolism and accumulated certain compounds that facilitated their recovery when conditions improved.

 In other studies, frozen organisms, including moss, weeds and tiny worms called nematode, have been brought back to life after at least 1,000 years. The Russian researchers are part of a broader study exploring the existence of living organisms at extremely low temperatures. In the future, plants with cryptobiotic properties could revolutionize various aspects of human life such as farming and storage, or perhaps even assist humans on Mars.