Understanding the human body is a team effort. That's where the Yachtel group comes in.

Researchers at Yachtolt have been delving into the secrets of probiotics for 90 years.

Yacold also partners with nature portfolio to advance gut microbiome science through the global grants for gut health, an investigator-led research program.

To learn more about Yachtolt, visit yawcult.co.

.j.p. That's y-A-K-U-L-T.C-O.J-P. When it comes to a guide for your gut, count on Yacult.

This is Scientific Americans' 60-second science. I'm Lee Billings. You got a minute?

Forget cockroaches. Forget Superman. Forget any other tough as nails creatures you've ever heard of.

The most indestructible multicellular organisms on Earth are undoubtedly tardigrades.

Microscopic, eight-legged aquatic invertebrates, also known as water bears.

These wee beasties can withstand severe dehydration, extreme temperatures and pressures,

several days in Earth orbit exposed to the vacuum of space, and whopping doses of radiation

that would kill most anything else. And being Earthlings, there is no reason to think they'd be

vulnerable to kryptonite. Scientists are beginning to understand the genetic basis of Tardagrade's

death-defying superpowers, and what they're learning may have profound implications for human health.

The genome for a species of Tardagrade was first sequenced last year. The analysis suggested that about one-sixth

of the DNA was imported from notoriously hard-to-kill bacteria. But that conclusion was soon disputed,

with all that bacterial DNA blamed on laboratory contamination. Now, a new genome has been published

of an exceptionally hardy tardigrade species, and it finds that almost all of the

DNA is homegrown and chockful of sequences responsible for cellular protection and repair. The study is in

the journal Nature Communications. In particular, the researchers discovered the gene for a protein

apparently unique to water bears that shields their DNA from radiation damage.

Called DESUP for damage suppressor, the protein binds to tardigrade DNA to keep it from snapping

...