ORIGIN STORY: SUPERHERO, OR SUPERVILLAIN? Scientists Put Tardigrade Proteins Into Human Cells. Here’s What Happened.

“Amazingly, when we introduce these proteins into human cells, they gel and slow down metabolism, just like in tardigrades,” says molecular biologist Silvia Sanchez-Martinez, from the University of Wyoming.

“When you put human cells that have these proteins into biostasis, they become more resistant to stresses, conferring some of the tardigrades’ abilities to the human cells.” . . .

“When the stress is relieved, the tardigrade gels dissolve, and the human cells return to their normal metabolism,” says University of Wyoming molecular biologist Thomas Boothby.

What shall we call that character? “Tardiman?” That just sounds like someone who’s always late.