this is how radiosynthesis wants to take us to Mars

In May 1997, Nelli Zhdanova entered the Chernobyl nuclear station and discovered something curious: The ceiling, the walls and even the inside of the reactor ducts were black. For some inexplicable reason, all those places that until then were considered incompatible with life They were full of mold.

Not only that. He discovered that these fungi not only survived brutal doses of radiation, but they took advantage of it, fed on it, grew towards it.

What I didn’t know is that those very obscure radiotrophic fungi were our best asset for traveling to space.

Because now it’s not enough to understand them… We already know that these organisms they carry out a kind of radiosynthesis using melanin to convert ionizing radiation into usable chemical energy. And, if that were not enough, we know that a layer of just 1.7 mm could reduce around 2–2.5% the radiation measured under it.

It was a matter of time before we got down to work and a new wave of studies emerged that combines biology, materials science and low-orbit testing.

…we need to change the world. The basic idea right now is to create biocomposites where melanin (fungal, animal or synthetic) is mixed with polymers such as PLA (polylactic acid) to improve its structural stability and, above all, its shielding capacity against space radiation.

Based on melanin and with the DNA repair mechanisms of fungi under arm, the idea of ​​​​creating a bi-shield of protection in deep space is on the table. We are talking about one of the best solutions (light, self-healing and versatile) to travel to Mars avoiding the problems of microradiation.

A huge toolbox. Of course, this is just the beginning. Extremophiles have proven to be an incredible toolbox and the interest in Chernobyl mushrooms is part of that idea, that dream, that hope.

But is it realistic or is it pure hype? That’s the big question, isn’t it? After all, the current armor figures are modest: reductions of 2–4%; and a good part of the community sees it as something complementary (and not a technology capable of replacing others).

Above all, because there are many doubts about how we will be able to resolve all biosecurity problems than a bunch of mushrooms in a closed space in deep space. Luckily, we have time to get it.

Image | Jorge Fernandez Salas | Photobank kyiv

In Xataka | Chernobyl was filled with mushrooms after the nuclear accident. Thanks to them we discovered a “new form of photosynthesis”