Micro organisms

[OConnor_LFC]

http://gizmodo.com/frozen-tardigrade-brought-back-to-life-after-30-years-1753152359

 

Sorry if this is the wrong place for this post am only posting to get a few good responses if possible .

 

Is there any way we could extract the properties in the gnome of the tardigrade and genetically engineer them inside of our own gnome ?

 

Nanotechnology could be instructed to implement the genes ?. If we could we could probably stay alive through space travel.

 

If anybody is doing there A-Levels don't listen to what I am saying.

[CharonY]

It's genome, and no, unfortunately not. Actual traits (phenotypes) are the result of a complex interplay of genetics, physiology and also environmental factors. Just changing some genes won't confer desirable traits (even if we knew which genes are responsible for it). In this particular case physical limitations also play a role.

[OConnor_LFC]

iPhone auto correct spelling, but yes back on point.

[OConnor_LFC]

We currently have decent technology to insert foreign DNA into the genome of human cells (the newly developed CRISPR technology), so no need to turn to nanotechnology. However, understanding which genes allow the tardigrade genome allow it to survive extreme conditions and whether these traits could be transferred to other organisms with very different biology is not clear. Not all of biology is modular and can easily be transferred between organisms, especially properties that rely on the system-wide function of the organism.

 

Tardigrades are not the only organism to be revived after long periods of time, so there may be different ways of achieving such properties. For example, plants have grown from 30,000 year old seeds: http://www.nature.com/news/wild-flower-blooms-again-after-30-000-years-on-ice-1.10069