What's more, the fungi seemed to be growing towards sources of radiation, as if the microbes were attracted to them!.
The ISS environment exposes inhabitants to between 40 and 80 times more radiation than on Earth.
Back on Earth, Dadachova noted in a 2008 paper that Chernobyl's radiation-loving fungi are almost certainly not the first examples of their kind.
"Large quantities of highly melanized fungal spores have been found in early Cretaceous period deposits when many species of animals and plants died out.
This period coincides with Earthâs crossing the âmagnetic zeroâ resulting in the loss of its âshieldâ against cosmic radiation.".
This raises an intriguing possibility â perhaps there are places in the cosmos where melanin-containing organisms thrive in environments awash in radiation?
Wherever there is energy to be harvested, life might just find a way... »
