Science at UM [S05-ep14]: When the Tardigrade Shares Its Superpowers

[Podcast] - Published on April 2, 2026 in Science and Society

This week on "Science at UM," Simon Galas and Myriam Richaud from theIBMM as well as Aymeric Bailly from the CRBM , join us to discuss the gene that gives tardigrades their superpowers. In the second half of the program, we’ll visit the food technology platform at the Qualisud laboratory with Caroline Oda. Finally, Marianne Dupré Gabirot introduces us to the Science Bar on April 16. A program broadcast every Wednesday on the radio Divergence.

In the Marvel universe, we all know Spider-Man, the Hulk, and Wolverine; at DC Comics, we have the classics like Superman, Batman, and Catwoman. But have you heard of Tardiman or perhaps Tardiwoman, the blockbuster creation of the Max Mousseron Institute of Biomolecules?

X-rays and gamma rays bounce right off him; the temperature of liquid helium leaves him completely unfazed, as do extreme heat or drought, which will send him into a state of cryptobiosis. Just like Graeme Allwright’s cat, you could send him to the moon or to the butcher—his superpowers will keep him unscathed. But where does the strength of this creature—also known as the little water bear—come from?

DNA sequencing of our tiny superhero had already revealed the role of a specific gene called Dsup. And it was this gene that our guests transferred to a nematode. Simon Galas and Myriam Richaud, researchers at the Max Mousseron Institute of Biomolecules, where they run one of only two tardigrade breeding facilities in France, along with Aymeric Bailly, a researcher at the Montpellier Center for Cell Biology Research, are the authors of this experiment. They published an article in Science Advances titled “The tardigrade Dsup protein extends the lifespan of C. elegans by inhibiting mitochondrial respiration and promoting resistance to oxidative stress.”

In the second part of the program, we visit the food technology platform at the Qualisud laboratory at CIRAD, which specializes in food processing engineering for tropical and Mediterranean regions. A 1,200-square-meter facility where we’ll tour the various technical labs used for research but also accessible to students, all with a common goal: to optimize the sensory, nutritional, and health qualities of processed foods of plant or animal origin. And to kick off this series, Caroline Oda tells us how she uses filtration to recover valuable molecules from mango or grapefruit waste.

Finally, Marianne Dupré Gabirot, head of the scientific culture department at UM, will present the upcoming Science Bar, which will take place on Thursday, April 16, at 7:30 p.m. at Brasserie Le Dôme, focusing on the topic of microplastics.

At UM Science, you’ve got the program—let’s get started!

Co-production: Divergence FM / University of Montpellier
Host: Lucie Lecherbonnier
Interview: Lucie Lecherbonnier / Aline Périault
Reporting: Aline Périault
Production: Alice Rollet

Tune in to the show “A l’UM la science” on Divergence FM 93.9

Keywords: Science at UM, Research, Science, Company