Antarctic Worms Create Antifreeze

Antarctica may be home to penguins and other such famous animals, but it also hosts a few unknown creatures that apparently have the potential to really throw biologists off their guard. A good example in that direction is a newly-found species of worm, which has the ability to modulate and increase its antifreeze levels, so as to avoid dying on account of the cold. Also, should fresh water disappear from its natural habitat, the animal can easily dry itself up and remain in a state of suspended animation, from which only fresh water can again revive it.

But molecular biology associate professor Byron Adams and PhD student Bishwo Adhikari, both researchers at the Brigham Young University, are now studying the half-millimeter nematode worm, so as to exactly determine what mechanisms it employs when regulating the amount of heat its body handles at any given time. The two have already published a preliminary study on Monday in the journal BMC Genomics detailing possible uses and applications of the new discovery.

"Understanding how the soil functions independent of plants allows us a baseline that we can later add plants to. These are rudimentary first steps – the long-term goal is to be able to extend our findings to more complex ecosystems, particularly managed ecosystems. Growers want to know how climate change is going to affect their ability to grow crops. Right now we don't really know. Understanding how this works in a simple ecosystem is the first step in being able to make those predictions," Adams explains.

In other organisms, chilly temperatures prompt the transformation of water in the cells into icy crystals, which are strong enough to pierce the cellular walls and kill them. In humans, this is known as frostbite, and is lethal to most animals that can freeze completely. But the microscopic worm seems to be immune to these effects. The research team says that the organism has found a way to generate a specific protein that acts either by strengthening the wall of its cells, or by coating the crystals themselves with a protective layer, thus avoiding any damage to them.

Analyzing such small animals is crucial, the team shares, even though they may seem to be unimportant due to their very small size. However, they are the best creatures to study when evaluating the effects of global warming and climate change on small ecosystems. This type of worm is most susceptible to changes in its ambiance temperature, and could provide scientists with a valuable tool of assessing the exact impact the heating of Antarctica has on various species.