Tardigrade Tattoos Could Pave the Way for Microscopic Medical Devices

In this study, researchers have revealed a way for tardigrades to be tattooed, but not just for style points. The tiny tattoos given to the creatures were meant to test a procedure that could create micro- and nanoscale devices for living matter, a crucial advancement for biomedical fields. The Sciences
Tardigrade tattoos
This tardigrade is sporting a new “tattoo” — represented in this magnified image by the highlighted dots, and visible in the inset image.

Tardigrades take extreme living to another level, thriving in the toughest conditions. These animals (nicknamed “water bears” for their rotund figure) live practically everywhere and can endure any ordeal thrown their way, from subzero temperatures to cosmic radiation. This unparalleled durability is what makes them the perfect candidate for microscopic tattoos, as shown in a new study published in the American Chemical Society’s Nano Letters.
In this study, researchers have revealed a way for tardigrades to be tattooed, but not just for style points. The tiny tattoos given to the creatures were meant to test a procedure that could create micro- and nanoscale devices for living matter, a crucial advancement for biomedical fields.
The researchers involved with the study depended on tardigrades’ top-notch survivability to see how a living creature would react to a manufacturing process at the microscopic level, called microfabrication.
Microfabrication has been used to build miniature structures, like microchips, solar cells, and even biosensors that can detect cancerous cells, according to a statement on the study. It could also play a crucial role in medical technology, aiding drug delivery and tissue engineering. However, efforts to make this technology biocompatible are still underway — and that’s where the tardigrade tattoos come in.