Mysterious fungus found thriving in Chernobyl
A strange black fungus thriving inside the ruined Chernobyl reactor is prompting scientists to rethink how life can survive in extreme radiation, though its unusual abilities remain unresolved, Qazinform News Agency correspondent reports, citing ScienceAlert.
Nearly 40 years after the Chernobyl disaster, researchers have found organisms not only surviving in the high radiation zone but apparently doing well. One of the most remarkable is Cladosporium sphaerospermum, a black fungus growing on the inner walls of one of the most contaminated buildings on Earth.
Scientists first documented the fungus in the late 1990s during surveys of the reactor’s shelter. It stood out for its dark color, caused by the pigment melanin, and for carrying high levels of radioactive contamination. Later experiments showed the fungus was not harmed by radiation as expected. In some cases, it even grew faster when exposed to it.
Researchers suggested that melanin might help the fungus capture radiation and turn it into energy through a process compared to photosynthesis, a theory known as radiosynthesis. In 2022, tests on the International Space Station showed the fungus could block some cosmic radiation, highlighting its potential as a natural radiation shield for space missions.
However, scientists have not yet proven that the fungus truly uses radiation as an energy source. No clear chemical process has been identified to show it gaining energy this way. Other fungi also react to radiation, but not consistently, suggesting the effect may be more about survival than feeding on radiation.
For now, C. sphaerospermum remains a scientific mystery, offering a striking example of how life adapts in places once thought too dangerous to support it.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that researchers in Australia had identified a drug overcoming treatment resistance in relapsed neuroblastoma
