Rotiferes

Rotifers are fascinating multicellular animals that have evolved on Earth for over sixty million years. Smaller than a millimetre, they represent a scandal in evolutionary biology: asexual females clone themselves without any intervention from males. Moreover, these microscopic animals, among the smallest on earth, are particularly robust. They can withstand extreme conditions such as desiccation, radiation and freezing.
Rotifer (a)live gives an insight into the science and fascinating discoveries made about rotifers. In the form of a scientific apparatus, this installation takes the visitor on a journey into the world of biological research laboratories and also presents the high-tech aerospace modules that have transported rotifers to the International Space Station (ISS), as part of the European Space Agency-funded RISE (Rotifers In SpacE) project, which proposes the rotifer as a new biological model for space research.