'Nuclear Mushrooms'? Radiation-fed fungi found in Chernobyl reactor; may help astronauts

With Ukranian government promoting Chernobyl exclusion zone as a tourist attraction, scientists on Thursday, have discovered fungi that feed on riation, according to international reports. Furrmore, a chain of fungi that has recently been discovered can reportedly help protect people from riation. Mushrooms were first discovered on walls of reactor in 1991 - five years after Chernobyl nuclear disaster.

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What do 'riation-fed' mushrooms signify?

Scientists h first tested mushrooms in 2001 as per reports and discovered a fairly high amount of melanin pigment. This pigment is known for absorbing light and distributing ultraviolet riation on human skin. But in mushrooms, mushrooms absorb riation and turn it into a kind of chemical energy to grow, according to a 2008-published study by Ekaterina Dachova.

Dachova h explained in her study, "High amounts of melanized fungal spores were found in early Cretaceous period when many animal and plant species died. This period also crosses ‘magnetic zero’ where our planet lost its shield against cosmic riation. importance of existence of such a creature is that it shows that organisms may be alive in environments where riation is very intense".

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What is scope of se Mushrooms?

Currently, NASA scientists are reportedly studying if this Melanin absorption property of humans can be used to protect astronauts in space. scientists are attempting to create a space-approved sunscreen by extracting this 'riation-fed melanin' from se Mushrooms. astronauts at International Space Station are currently testing mushroom-derived melanin sent by Johns Hopkins University scientists in November 2019, state reports.

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What is Chernobyl disaster?

According to World nuclear Organisation, April 1986 disaster at Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine was product of a flawed Soviet reactor design that was operated with inequately trained personnel. It was a direct consequence of Cold War isolation and resulting lack of any safety culture. accident destroyed Chernobyl 4 reactor, killing 30 operators and firemen within three months and several furr deaths later. While nobody offsite suffered from acute riation effects, a significant fraction of thyroid cancers have been diagnosed since accident in patients who were children at time - likely to be due to intake of rioactive iodine fallout. resettlement of areas from which people were relocated is ongoing.

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