BENGALURU, INDIA — Researchers in India have discovered a species of tardigrade that absorbs UV radiation and emits blue light.
Writing in the journal Biology Letters, scientists at the Indian Institute of Science describe how they discovered a new species of tardigrade on a moss-covered concrete wall at the institute.
The scientists found that when they exposed this species, called Paramacrobiotus BLR strain, and another species, H exemplaris, to 15 minutes of germicidal levels of UV exposure, Paramacrobiotus survived.
H exemplaris did not.
When treated with a dose four times as strong, 60 percent went on to live for 30 more days.
The scientists found that the reddish brown tardigrade used a protective fluorescent shield that absorbs the damaging ultraviolet radiation and emits it back out as harmless blue light.