[ExI] cool! liquid nitrogen cool

[spike]

http://io9.com/whoa-this-leech-survived-after-being-in-liquid-nitroge-1507557643/@georgedvorsky

 

 

 

Scientists have learned that a common parasite of sea turtles is capable of surviving ridiculously cold temperatures — a finding that could lead to the development of advanced cryopreservation techniques.

Okay, gotta say, this thing's really weird. Most organisms cannot survive exposure to temperatures below 0°C, let alone temperatures as low as liquid nitrogen. Once you get below the freezing point the water in the cells cause way too much damage, typically resulting in cell death.

What's even weirder is that this leech, Ozobranchus jantseanus, parasitizes sea turtles that swim in waters no colder than −2 to −4°C, and for more longer than 11 days. "It is likely," write the researchers in their study, "that this cryotolerant ability has arisen in response to some as yet unclarified adaptation."

And an extreme adaptation is it. The leech can survive exposure to super-low temperatures by storage in liquid nitrogen (−196°C) for 24 hours, as well as long-term storage at temperatures as low as −90°C for up to 32 months. The leech is also capable of enduring repeated freeze-thaw cycles in the temperature range 20°C to −100°C and then back to 20°C…

 

 

Now THAT’s cool.

 

spike

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