Uploaded July 2023 | Updated September 2026, 1 hour ago

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National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) researchers studied how Hydractinia symbiolongicarpus, a small, tube-shaped animal that lives on the shells of hermit crabs, regenerates an entire new body from only its mouth. Just as the Hydractinia were beginning to regenerate new bodies, the researchers sequenced RNA from the animals and detected a molecular signature associated with the biological process of aging.

Learn more:
genome.gov/news/news-release/scientists-discover-clues-to-aging-and-healing-from-a-squishy-sea-creature

Science writer: Anna Rogers, NHGRI
Producer: Alvaro Encinas, NHGRI