In this review we analyze the dormancy strategies of metazoans inhabiting “hostile to life”
habitats, which have a strong impact on their ecology and in particular on the traits of their …

The current state of knowledge about anhydrobiosis in tardigrades is presented. In response
to adverse environmental conditions tardigrades arrest their metabolic activity and after …

Anhydrobiosis represents an extreme example of tolerance adaptation to water loss, where
an organism can survive in an ametabolic state until water returns. Here we report the first …

To survive exposure to space conditions, organisms should have certain characteristics
including a high tolerance for freezing, radiation and desiccation. The organisms with the …

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are formed in all aerobic organisms, potentially leading to
oxidative damage of all biological molecules. A number of defence mechanisms have …

Space missions of long duration required a series of preliminary experiments on living
organisms, validated by a substantial phase of ground simulation experiments, in the field of …

Simple Summary Water is a requirement for life on Earth; loss of free water within the body
or cell almost always leads to death. However, in several invertebrate lineages, some …

Reproductive strategy is an important aspect of biological diversity. In tardigrades, several
reproductive modes, including sexual reproduction, are known. However, tardigrade mating …

Issued primarily by COSPAR (the Committee On SPAce Research), international Planetary
Protection Policies mandate that all spacecraft hardware in contact with extraterrestrial …

Although evolution of life has turned oxygen into a vital compound for aerobic organisms,
this element can also have deleterious effects on living systems being involved in the …