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 TRENTON, N.J. (AP) - Normally fodder for anglers and early birds, worms are now getting attention at NASA — particularly a little-known species that lives in freezing temperatures and can survive two years without food.
Researchers hope the hardy wigglers can unlock the secrets of how life might survive on distant ice worlds such as Jupiter's moon Europa, as well as provide answers to more earthbound problems such as preserving transplant organs kept on ice.
NASA recently gave Daniel Shain, an associate professor of biology at Rutgers-Camden, a three-year, $214,206 grant to figure what makes the ice worms such survivors.
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