Two ancient nematodes are moving and eating normally again for the first time since the Pleistocene age. The roundworms were found frozen in the Siberian permafrost, and subsequently thawed out and brought back to life in Petri dishes.
These time-traveling creatures are just one example of the power of cryo-conservation – the process of cooling biological materials (organs, tissue, etc.) to low temperatures in order to preserve them.
Let's take a look at what else the Russian permafrost is capable of preserving.
According to The Siberian Times, Russian scientists "defrosted" and revived two nematodes (AKA roundworms) that had been preserved in the Arctic permafrost for around 40,000 years. The team, who was working in collaboration with Princeton University, found the specimens while analyzing more than 300 soil samples.
The worms were initially stored in a lab at -4 degrees Fahrenheit (-20 degrees Celsius). But were defrosted for weeks in a comfortable 68 degree Fahrenheit (20 degree Celsius) environment. Soon, the nematodes began moving and eating once again.
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