Chernobyl’s ruins, where no species dared to survive, are now home to strange radiation-powered fungi

Nearly four decades after the Chernobyl nuclear disaster turned an entire region into an uninhabitable exclusion zone, scientists have uncovered something astonishing inside the ruins of the shattered reactor. In a place where radiation levels still pose lethal risks to humans, several species of black fungi have been found not only surviving but actually thriving by feeding on radiation itself.

Researchers first noticed the unusual growths in 1991, when a team examining the destroyed reactor building discovered dark, mold-like patches spreading across the structure’s heavily contaminated walls. Further analysis revealed that these fungi contained unusually high levels of melanin, the pigment that protects human skin from ultraviolet rays. But in these organisms, melanin appears to serve a far more extraordinary function.

Studies indicate that the fungi absorb and convert radiation into chemical energy, a process scientists describe as “radiosynthesis.” This ability allows them to grow faster in highly radioactive zones than in normal environments, effectively turning gamma rays—deadly to most life forms—into fuel. Some species even seem to move or orient their growth toward radiation sources, a behaviour researchers have termed “radiotropism.”

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Their almost supernatural resilience has scientists racing to understand them.

Experiments conducted in space have shown that a thin layer of these radiation-eating fungi can reduce harmful cosmic radiation, hinting at possible future applications in spacecraft shielding. If developed further, such biological barriers could help protect astronauts on long-duration missions to the Moon or Mars.

Beyond space exploration, the fungi may also offer clues for cleaning up radioactive sites on Earth. Their ability to tolerate and even metabolise radiation could inspire new technologies for bioremediation, potentially easing environmental damage in nuclear-affected regions.

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Yet, many questions remain unanswered. Scientists still do not fully understand the biochemical mechanisms behind radiosynthesis, nor the long-term ecological impact of these organisms in the exclusion zone. What is clear, however, is that life continues to evolve in unexpected ways, even in the world’s harshest environments.