scientists from NASA and Stanford University revealed the results of an experiment in which a black fungus from the ruins of Chernobyl Reactor 4 not only survived but actually accelerated its growth when exposed to radiation. Tests took place on the International Space Station to determine whether this organism could protect humans during Mars missions. Where did the idea come from? Since 1997, when Ukrainian mycologist Nelli Zhdanova discovered 37 species of fungi inside the reactor, researchers have wondered how Cladosporium sphaerospermum manages to thrive in such an extreme environment. The method: they compared growth rates and the fungus’s ability to block radiation both on Earth and in space [1][2][3][4].
Why the Market Gets It Wrong: Fungi, Not Steel, Could Save Astronauts
Instead of dying off, Cladosporium sphaerospermum thrives in the presence of radioactive cesium. In a 2007 experiment led by Ekaterina Dadachova at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, melanin-rich fungi grew up to 10% faster when exposed to radiation. In 2008, Dadachova and immunologist Arturo Casadevall proposed a hypothesis: melanin might act like a biological solar panel, converting radiation into biochemical energy. They called this ‘radiosynthesis,’ though the mechanism remains unproven. ‘True radiosynthesis has yet to be demonstrated,’ admits the team of Nils Averesch at Stanford [2][4][5][8].
How the Chernobyl Fungus Reacts to Radiation—and Why It Matters
In 2018, samples of the fungus were sent to the International Space Station. The results? The growth rate was 21% higher than in control samples, and a thin layer of the fungus blocked 2.17% more cosmic radiation. For astronauts, this could mean a new, lightweight, self-healing shield. Lynn Rothschild, an astrobiologist at NASA, is already discussing ‘myco-architecture’—buildings made of fungi on the Moon or Mars that can patch themselves and shield against radiation. Is this a breakthrough? The fungus’s resistance mechanism is still a mystery. Is it true adaptation or just a clever stress response? The answer remains to be discovered [1][5][7][9].