When SpaceX launched its latest rocket salad to save a novel lode of cargo to the International Space Station ( ISS)this morning , it also curb a serial publication of experimentation for the astronauts to conduct . One of thesemight seem pretty innocuous at first : an experimentation to grow sure tune of fungi . But these are not any fungi . Collected from the Chernobyl atomic calamity zone , these fungi can feed on radiation therapy , andcould help future space missions .
After visit the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone , scientist actualise there may be more to the " black kingdom Fungi " that were thriving in the region despite the high levels of radiotherapy present . The number of these kingdom Fungi were discover to have risen dramatically follow the nuclear meltdown , and on further examination , found to grow towards radiation generator , in a manner that appear to imply that they were render to turn over them .
It turns outthat the fungi might be harness melanin – the pigment observe in pelt that help oneself to protect against UV hurt – in society to break down actinotherapy . Not radioactive compound , but radiation itself . By harvesting its vigour , the fungi is able to use the radiation in gild to grow , a concept that has been of involvement to scientist as a potential mode tosolve the problemof alimentation astronauts during long place flight or when they colonize other planets .
But scientists are not really thinking that future star traveller will be chowing down on lawn bowling full of black fungi ( said to resemble the mold found on dirty shower curtain ) . alternatively , by calculate out how the fungi fly high , scientist hope to harness this noesis for further software . early enquiry has suggest that exposure to radiation caused the fungous melanin pigment to change contour , allowing it to break the radiation down and thus get energy out of it .
While it might be possible to change the shape of the melanin find in human skin , scientists speculatethat this would n’t function in the same way as DOE coevals in plants . It is hoped , though , it might be potential to practice this cognition to enable plant to grow in more utmost environs where there are in high spirits grade of radiation , such as on other planets like Mars .
It is important to stress that this is all suppositious at the bit . However , it is doubt like these that this late series of experiments will hopefully illuminate . The spaceman willbe produce eight species of radiation sickness - munching fungi for 14 days , while on Earth other scientist will be doing the same , allow them to liken the strain when they return to solid ground .
[ H / T : Motherboard ]
