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Ice Worms And Frozen Rat Ovaries

Posted by timothy on from the not-kept-in-the-same-freezer dept.

Murf-Dawg writes: "I found this article about 'ice worms' by linking from some information on a National Geographic Channel site. Seems like an x-files plot almost... Ice Worms that live in glaciers right around (and below apparently) freezing... Anybody know anything about them? I can't believe anything can live that cold . They say the research could help with organ and tissue storage." And on a related note, Egonis writes "In a world first, researchers in Canada have successfully transplanted the frozen ovaries and Fallopian tubes of rats, raising the possibility donor hearts and kidneys could also be preserved in suspended animation for years."

6 of 24 comments (clear)

  1. Seen 'Em by Perdo · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Yes, ice worms are real. They live between ice crystals on the surface of some glaciers. On summer evenings they come to the surface to feed on red algae and pollen grains. "Ice Worm Safaris" are conducted by forest service people on summer evenings at Portage Glacier. I have seen them on Matanuska glacier just north of Anchorage. Portage Glacier is just west of Anchorage.

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    If voting were effective, it would be illegal by now.

  2. Of course ice worms are real by Eevee · · Score: 2, Funny

    Else you couldn't make ice work cocktails of them.

  3. Can you guess where the editing took place? by pubudu · · Score: 3, Insightful
    from the article:

    Ice worms are so strange that most people and even some scientists dismiss them as a hoax. They are found only in a region ranging from Washington State to Alaska. At room temperature, they disintegrate in 15 minutes. They live in glaciers, feed on pink algae and creep out only at night in the summer. The JASON project predicts that this will be the first time these almost mythical creatures will be observed in the winter.

    The JASON Project, the nation's foremost science distance learning program for middle school students, hopes to change that.

    By the way, just in case you don't trust the research of middle school students, google returns the following for a search for "ice worms".

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    under-paid karma whore

  4. Jason Project by Murf-Dawg · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I'm reading up more on the site that had the press release; seems pretty cool. Apparently they take middle school students to different sites each year with Ballard - the guy that discovered the Titanic. Then they do research on the sites and turn it into a school curriculum. This year they happen to be in Alaska - Portage in fact - thanks Perdo!

  5. Actually many forms of life.... by jsimon12 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Survive at extremely low tempetures. All use some type of method to keep ice crystals from forming in their body tissues. Some int he case of a few species of frog that hibernate at or below freezing simple saturate their body tissues with dissolved sugars, which really would work in humans as it would horribly disrupt or body chemistry. Other animals use differnt types of antifreeze, like these iceworms, and assuming we can find one that isn't horribly toxic to human body chemistry we might just be able to freeze people for later or for space hibernation.

  6. Re:Already demand for organs outstrips supply by TheLink · · Score: 2

    Because of distribution issues?

    e.g. someone dies with X different organs. And you can only get one or two to the recipients in time. Many organs just don't last very long.

    Freezing without damage allows you to save the rest for later.

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    Anyway it could open up some more possibilities of food distribution too.

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