A new type of organism has emerged in the Chernobyl nuclear wasteland that thrives on radiation.
Nearly 40 years ago, Unit 4 of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant (then part of the Soviet Union, now Ukraine) accidentally exploded, after which humans have been prohibited from entering the area.
However, this life form is flourishing in the radioactive environment. It is moving toward the reactor, into a location extremely toxic for most life forms.
This fungus was found inside one of the most radioactive structures in the world. While ionizing radiation causes death, cancer, and other illnesses in animals and humans, scientists believe that radioactive rays may potentially serve as a source of food for this organism.
Scientists think that melanin - the pigment giving the fungus its dark color - may help it use ionizing radiation to generate energy, similar to the way plants produce food using sunlight.
This process is referred to as radiosynthesis.
