究其原因，原來是BLR水熊蟲皮膚下的一組螢光色素充當了「防護罩」，它吸收了有害的紫外線輻射，然後將其轉化為無害的藍光並釋放出來。
It does this by employing a protective fluorescent shield that absorbs the damaging ultraviolet radiation and emits it back out as harmless blue light.
來自印度科學研究所的桑迪普·埃斯瓦拉帕是這項研究報告的合著者，他說：「我們的研究表明，BLR水熊蟲憑藉著這種技能，可以在地球上最乾燥、陽光最強烈的地方生活。」
「Our study suggests that [these creatures] can survive in the driest and sunniest places on Earth,」 said Dr. Sandeep Eswarappa, co-author of the research from the Indian Institute of Science.
在《生物學快報》上，埃斯瓦拉帕和他的同事敘述了這一發現的經過，他們是在研究所一個混凝土牆上的苔蘚裡發現新型水熊蟲的。
在實驗中，研究人員發現，把BLR水熊蟲暴露在紫外線下照射十五分鐘以後，這種可以輕易殺死另一類名為H. exemplaris水熊蟲的輻射強度竟然沒有傷到BLR水熊蟲分毫，它們不僅存活了下來，還發出令人驚訝的藍光。
The researchers found that when they exposed Paramacrobiotus to UV radiation for 15 minutes — enough to kill another tardigrade species, H. exemplaris — the new genus not only survived, but surprisingly emitted a blue glow.
為了進一步探索，該團隊從BLR水熊蟲中提取了這些螢光色素，並用它們來包裹對紫外線輻射敏感的H.exemplaris水熊蟲。結果顯示，這些提取物確實起到了一定的保護作用，有大約一半的實驗樣本在幾天後仍然活著。
To explore further, the team created an extract from the new species, and covered the UV-sensitive tardigrades, H.exemplaris, with this fluorescent substance. The results show the extract provided at least some protection, with around half the H.exemplaris tardigrades still alive several days later.
埃斯瓦拉帕同樣驚奇於這種發現，他說：「雖然自然界中還有其他物種可以抵禦紫外線的侵襲，但BLR水熊蟲卻是唯一一種用螢光色素來對抗致命紫外線輻射的生物。
Eswarappa said the findings were a surprise. 「There are other species that show UV tolerance, but [the new species] is the only one with fluorescence as a mechanism to resist lethal UV radiation,」 he said.
烏卡斯·卡茲馬雷克是波蘭亞當·密凱維奇大學的水熊蟲研究專家，他並沒有參與這項研究，
但他說這類研究都表明，水熊蟲體內的某些物質或許可以保護其他生物免受惡劣環境的傷害。
Dr. Łukasz Kaczmarek, an expert in tardigrades from Adam Mickiewicz University in Poland, who was not involved in the research, said the study joined previous work showing the potential use of substances produced by tardigrades to protect other organisms from harmful environmental conditions.
此外，埃斯瓦拉帕還打算進行更多的實驗，同時把他的發現運用於更廣泛的領域。按照他的話來說，如果可以從這些會發光的水熊蟲身上提取出螢光物質並大量合成，那麼這些螢光物質將很有可能被用於防曬霜的生產上。
What’s more, Eswarappa said he plans to conduct additional experiments and possibly apply his discovery on a much larger scale. If synthesized in large amounts, the fluorescent extract made from the glowing tardigrade, he said, could potentially become a sunscreen for humans.
未來科學家們甚至還可以藉助這一發現，研發出能預防紫外線傷害的材料，並在烈日工作服、太空服中找到應用空間。