Faced with the imminent destabilization of ecosystems and the extinction of many of the species that make up the planet’s biodiversity, an international group of scientists made a radical proposal: to create a repository of genetic material on the Moon.
In an academic paper, the experts suggest “long-term storage of prioritized taxa from living cryopreserved samples to safeguard Earth’s biodiversity and support future space exploration and terraforming of planets.”
This means that certain tissue samples would be treated with a cryopreservation process. This involves freezing living matter at temperatures between -80°C and -196°C to keep its vital functions suspended for a long period of time. This is currently done with embryos as part of the in vitro fertilization process.
ADN
“Collections of cryopreserved materials can be thawed to recover ADNintact cells and even complete functional organisms,” the scientists said.
The researchers explain that they will initially focus on working with the skins of animals in danger of extinction, or those that play an essential role in their food webs, and that contain fibroblasts (cells essential for the formation of connective tissue).
“Two key factors for this biorepository are the need to reduce radiation damage and to maintain samples near -196 °C. Certain lunar sites near the poles may meet these criteria,” they said in the article.
In the polar areas there are large craters that are permanently in shadow and would have temperatures low enough to keep the cells frozen.
To ensure that the samples are resistant to the lunar environment, tests will be carried out both in laboratories and on the International Space Station. Scientists have already successfully cryopreserved fins of the star-shaped goby (Asterropteryx semipunctata).
Fuente: infobae.com
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