Revolutionary Breakthrough: Scientists ‘Tattoo’ Tardigrades with Nanotechnology for Enhanced Research

Researchers have recently developed a technique to tattoo patterns onto living tardigrades, those tiny, resilient creatures known for their extreme survival skills. This innovation isn’t just for fun; it could pave the way for tiny biocompatible devices, such as sensors and nanoscale robots.

The process of tattooing these microscopic animals offers valuable insights into their resilience. Remarkably, some of the tardigrades not only survived the tattooing but continued to move around afterward, showing their toughness.

“With this technology, we’re expanding our ability to create micro-tattoos not just on tardigrades but on various living organisms, including bacteria,” explains Ding Zhao, an optical engineer at Denmark’s Technical University.

The tattooing technique hinges on a method called ice lithography, a form of electron-beam lithography. This involves firing electrons at a surface to create precise patterns. The use of a thin ice layer allowed researchers to avoid contamination while achieving patterns smaller than 20 nanometers.

For perspective, the average human hair is about 80,000 to 100,000 nanometers wide, while tardigrades can reach up to 500,000 nanometers. This technique represents a significant step in nanotechnology, where high resolution and low impact processes are key to advancement.

Notably, tardigrades enter a state known as cryptobiosis to survive harsh conditions. They essentially shut down their metabolism under extreme stress, which helps them endure freezing and boiling temperatures. This unique ability plays a critical role in their survivability during the tattooing process.

The procedure began by inducing cryptobiosis in the tardigrades and storing them in a controlled environment. Each tardigrade was carefully processed one at a time to minimize stress. They were placed on carbon-composite paper inside a vacuum chamber cooled to -143 degrees Celsius. A layer of anisole protected them from the electron beam, helping create the tattoo.

After warming up, 40% of the tardigrades successfully revived, proudly displaying their new tattoos, which held up even through various stress tests like washing and drying.

“This study demonstrates that we can fabricate micro and nano patterns on living organisms using ice lithography,” the research team noted. This marks a significant leap forward, but they acknowledge that other organisms may not handle the process as well as tardigrades. Further adjustments are planned to improve survival rates.

Besides tardigrades, this technology may also apply to other resilient organisms. As the researchers put it, “We expect that combining more micro/nanofabrication methods with biological systems will advance areas like microbial sensing and living microrobots.”

This innovative research has been published in Nano Letters, highlighting the exciting possibilities that lie ahead in nanotechnology and biology.

Source link

MSFT Content