Tom Ireland explores the exciting possibilities of fungi that appear to use deadly radiation for energy and growth

Some fungal species appear to be able to use strong radiation as an energy source for growth. Tom Ireland explores the exciting potential of these understudied organisms

  • HootinNHollerin@lemmy.world
    2·
    7 hours ago

    Wow

    Over the next 15 years thousands of strains of hundreds of different species of microfungi were isolated from in and around the Chernobyl disaster site[1]. In tests many of them grew towards strong sources of ionising radiation and some even appeared able to digest so-called ‘hot particles’ – immensely radioactive graphite from the reactor core itself.