Tardigrades  – new insights into their legendary toughness

These things fascinate me, they’re unbelievably tough:

Tardigrades — also known as “water bears” — are microscopic animals that can live through almost anything: 30 years in a freezer, rapid dehydration, boiling and freezing temperatures, massive doses of radiation, baths in organic solvents, and a trip to open space. Today, scientists sequencing their genome have discovered clues to just how they do it — which may help us learn how to be just as tough ourselves.

http://www.theverge.com/2016/9/20/12990274/tardigrade-extreme-water-bears-genome-sequence