So following up later papers that cite the original [1] doesn't seem like this has gone very far. A number of papers collecting extremofile exemplars, and a few thinking about energy sources. But nothing on 'space food', 'radioactive remediation', or analysis of the energy source in humans. Sigh.<p>[1] <a href="http://scholar.google.com/scholar?cites=14704617567455474393&as_sdt=2005&sciodt=0,5&hl=en" rel="nofollow">http://scholar.google.com/scholar?cites=14704617567455474393...</a>
So, radiation is a big risk factor in sending astronauts to Mars and around the solar system.<p>What if we could genetically engineer ourselves to use this melanin pathway for ourselves?<p>We wouldn't use energy from radiation in the fungi-melanin pathway (although we could), but it could be good to make our bodies recognize that a radiation storm is happening and that could trigger biochemical changes in our bodies. Either to become more radiation proof (hide yo' DNA in chromatin) or take some radiation-resilient actions (heavily increase the reproduction of cells in our gut lining).<p>This isn't a very realistic idea, just a sci-fi thing. We have a hundred years of ethics and technology to accomplish before this would be realistic.
This is a very cool fungus, I'm glad this was posted! The trickery of its survival comes from its use of melanin, specifically pheomelanin. Basically what happens is when ionizing radiation strikes pheomelanin, an incident electron is generated because of something known as the Compton effect (think photoelectric effect but at really high energy). Somehow, pheomelanin is able to strip down the energy of the electron until it is no longer capable of acting as a free radical and destroying surrounding matter. Unfortunately, that mechanism is still unknown, hopefully with the development of higher resolution microscopes we can get a more thorough understanding of the molecular structure.
This reminds me of the fungus you see growing on the sides of distillery facilities (if you ever go through bourbon country in Kentucky, all the whisky aging warehouses are covered in the stuff). Instead of radiation, they thrive on ethanol.<p><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baudoinia_compniacensis" rel="nofollow">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baudoinia_compniacensis</a>
Interesting. Only 2 photosynthetic molecules are known so far in all branches of life, chlorophyll and rhodopsin, so the existence of another photosynthetic pathway is pretty surprising! I hope it's not another case of hype followed by debunking like for "arsenic dna" or "antideluvian dna".<p>The study seems to be done properly though, and hints at a possible mechanism, so maybe. I'd need a couple follow up studies of the mechanism to be convinced!
This is almost out of a Michael Crichton book. So close. <a href="http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Andromeda_Strain" rel="nofollow">http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Andromeda_Strain</a>
I am pretty sure I've heard something about Japanese wanting to try radiation "eating" fungi at Chernobyl ago in order to decontaminate the area almost a decade ago.
<a href="http://fukushima-diary.com/2013/06/black-substance-170000-cpm-possibly-130000140000-cpm-from-%CE%B2/?/" rel="nofollow">http://fukushima-diary.com/2013/06/black-substance-170000-cp...</a><p>A black organism that bioaccumulates radionuclides has being known of in Japan for a while.<p>I wouldn't go so far as to say this is a good or bad thing before we've studied this radioactive monster; considering how very hot it is I'll leave the studying to up someone else...
Funghi absorb radionuclides strongly. The reindeer and other grazers who eat lichen, etc. are all highly contaminated now. Look up radiotrophic funghi.
"Just as the pigment chlorophyll converts sunlight into chemical energy that allows green plants to live and grow, our research suggests that melanin can use a different portion of the electromagnetic spectrum - ionizing radiation - to benefit the fungi containing it,"<p>One problem with that. Ionizing radiation is not on the electromagnetic spectrum. It's particles with rest mass.
So the fungi essentially absorbing some of the radiation and transforming it.<p>Does this mean that this is positively affecting the radioactive halife of the area because the fungi are essentially living off the excesses radiation present and will help contribute to reduce the radiation levels over time?
Older news: "Exotic Underground Bacteria Thrive On Radiation Rather Than Sunlight"<p><a href="http://www.scienceagogo.com/news/20060919234956data_trunc_sys.shtml" rel="nofollow">http://www.scienceagogo.com/news/20060919234956data_trunc_sy...</a>
Amazing, I guess its easy forget life on earth is billions of years old and extends deep into the planets crust. It has adapted to some completely different environments than what we normally associate with life.