In 2016, alongside her ERC CoG, Karine Van Doninck (KVD) secured an ESA project with postdoc Boris Hespeels, in collaboration with the LARN physics group (UNamur) and Dr. S. Baatout (VITO, Mol). This project investigates the extraordinary resilience of bdelloid rotifers to ionizing radiation, vacuum, and extreme temperatures, with four ISS missions planned—three of which have already launched successfully. Findings from the first mission, along with additional ESA project results, have been published in several scientific journals, including BMC Biology.
Building on insights from the ERC and ESA projects, Rohan Arora’s PhD research at the KVD laboratory explored the antioxidant defense (AOD) system of Adineta vaga, focusing on how its proteins—particularly those involved in DNA repair—are protected under stress. Cell survival critically depends on a functional proteome, yet maintaining protein integrity is especially challenging in extreme environments. Extremotolerant organisms like bdelloid rotifers, which can withstand complete desiccation and high radiation doses, face strong evolutionary pressure to develop novel, efficient antioxidant mechanisms. Prolonged desiccation or exposure to high ionizing radiation (IR) indeed generates excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS), causing widespread damage to DNA, proteins, and other biomolecules.
Arora’s research identified unique antioxidants in several extremotolerant eukaryotes, including bdelloid rotifers. These include naturally occurring chemical elements, small-molecule antioxidant complexes, and horizontally acquired antioxidant proteins like manganese superoxide dismutase. A manuscript detailing these findings is in the final stages of preparation for Nature Communications.
Additionally, KVD secured a proof-of-concept (POC) Innoviris project to develop novel antioxidant formulations inspired by the unique adaptations of these extremotolerant organisms.
