This project corresponds to RNA sequencing data from Ramazzottius varieornatus exposed to osmotic stress.. Osmotic stress tolerance and transcriptomic response of Ramazzottius varieornatus following osmotic tun formation.

To thrive in harsh and changing environments, tardigrades have evolved the ability to enter a quiescence state called cryptobiosis, often characterized by the formation of a so-called ‘tun’. In the present study, we investigate the phenomenon osmobiosis, a sub-state of cryptobiosis induced by high external osmolality, using the limno-terrestrial eutradigrade Ramazzottius varieornatus as a model. The current dataset provides the first transcriptomic profiling of the osmobiotic tun state induced by acute 3 Osm·kg-1 exposures as compared to controls kept under freshwater conditions.