A new study has discovered what is in the Tardigrade's genome that makes the creature indestructible and capable of withstanding severe environmental conditions - even radiation.

Tardigrades, also known as "water bears," are microscopic animals that are capable of living through almost anything. They can endure being exposed to rapid hydration, boiling and freezing temperatures, being locked in a freezer for 30 years, and can even survive in space. For years, scientists have been trying to discover how these tiny creatures remain indestructible, and now they have found the answer.

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Geneticist Takekazu Kunieda led a study published in the Nature Communications which presented a genetic analysis of "Ramazzottius variornatus," showing that Tardigrades possess unique genetic adaptations shared with no other creature that exists on Earth. Over the years, Tardigrades have lost bits of their DNA that triggered cells to consume their own components. They also gained protective genes that evolved new proteins protecting their DNA from breakage.

When scientists started to introduce the protein which they called "Dsup" (short for "damage suppressor") into a human kidney, it initially did not make any difference. But when they left the cells in the incubator for a while, they discovered that the cells were able to withstand hydrogen peroxide and X-ray radiation better than ordinary human cells.

Kunieda said that the discovery is a step forward in terms of cellular modification. Scientists believe that one day, they can harness the power of the Tardigrade genome and protect the human cells from similar environmental stressors. Furthermore, it can help astronauts withstand large amounts of cosmic radiation during their trips in space.

Here are some known facts about the Tardigrade: