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Tardigrade Tattoos Could Pave the Way for Microscopic Medical Devices

Learn about the significance of tardigrades being tattooed, a process that could lay the foundation for microscopic, biocompatible devices.

Jack Knudson
ByJack Knudson
This tardigrade is sporting a new “tattoo” — represented in this magnifiedimage by the highlighted dots, and visible in the inset image.

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Tardigrades take extreme living to another level, thriving in the toughest conditions. These animals (nicknamed “water bears” for their rotund figure) live practically everywhere and can endure any ordeal thrown their way, from subzero temperatures to cosmic radiation. This unparalleled durability is what makes them the perfect candidate for microscopic tattoos, as shown in a new study published in the American Chemical Society’s Nano Letters.

In this study, researchers have revealed a way for tardigrades to be tattooed, but not just for style points. The tiny tattoos given to the creatures were meant to test a procedure that could create micro- and nanoscale devices for living matter, a crucial advancement for biomedical fields.

Read More: Can the Cute Tardigrade Survive in Space?

The researchers involved with the study depended on tardigrades’ top-notch survivability to see how a living creature would react to a manufacturing process at the microscopic level, called ...

  • Jack Knudson

    Jack Knudson

    Jack Knudson is an assistant editor for Discover Magazine who writes articles on space, ancient humans, animals, and sustainability, and manages the Planet Earth column of the print issue.

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