Inducing radiation resilience in frozen animal cells via mRNA coding for tardigrade damage-suppressor protein in support of space travel and Lunar storage
Mary Hagedorn, Pierre Comizzoli, Lynne R Parenti, Robert A Craddock, Paula Mabee, Bonnie Meinke, John C Bischof, Rebecca D Sandlin, Shannon N Tessier, Mehmet Toner, Robert Ambrose, Baptiste Journaux, Garret Fitzpatrick · 2026
Read Inducing radiation resilience in frozen animal cells via mRNA coding for tardigrade damage-suppressor protein in support of space travel and Lunar storage by Mary Hagedorn, Pierre Comizzoli, Lynne R Parenti, Robert A Craddock, Paula Mabee, Bonnie Meinke, John C Bischof, Rebecca D Sandlin, Shannon N Tessier, Mehmet Toner, Robert Ambrose, Baptiste Journaux, Garret Fitzpatrick (2026) in the Tower of Babel, a free online library of public-domain works preserved in clean, searchable text. No sign-up. The full text is served as a plain-text file at a predictable URL, where text is present: https://antarctic-labs.com/tower-of-babel/pmc-13539440.txt.
Description
Mary Hagedorn and co-authors review a plan to shield frozen animal cells from radiation using a tardigrade protein, in support of a proposed Lunar Biorepository. The archive, sited at the Moon's south pole, would store frozen fibroblast cells from species that underpin Earth's ecosystems, for rescue or revival over centuries. Radiation during travel and storage is among the project's greatest threats, since it damages DNA over time. Genetic modification of the stored cells is off the table.
The review focuses on delivering messenger RNA that makes cells produce the tardigrade damage-suppressor protein, which limits radiation harm to DNA without obvious damage to cells. Nanoparticles would carry the message into the cells before freezing. The authors also frame the work as a testbed for protecting astronauts on long missions. The paper surveys the wider steps the archive needs, from species selection to sample management on Earth.
Catalog record
| CREATOR | Mary Hagedorn, Pierre Comizzoli, Lynne R Parenti, Robert A Craddock, Paula Mabee, Bonnie Meinke, John C Bischof, Rebecca D Sandlin, Shannon N Tessier, Mehmet Toner, Robert Ambrose, Baptiste Journaux, Garret Fitzpatrick |
|---|---|
| YEAR | 2026 |
| COLLECTION | PAPERS |
| FORMAT | TXT |
| FILE SIZE | 27 KB |
| VERSION | 1.0 |
| LICENSE | CC BY 4.0 |
| RIGHTS | CC BY |
| SOURCE | Europe PMC |