At https://dailygalaxy.com/2025/12/chernobyl-fungus-have-evolved-a-mind-blowing-ability-thats-never-been-seen-in-any-lifeform-before/ … a mysterious black fungus inside the ruins of the Chernobyl nuclear plant. Microscopic life forms have taken root where humans are excluded. The Chernobyl reactor. Back in the 1990s, a black fungus was discovered along the wall of Reactor 4, an area, then, still pulsing with ionising radiation, 40 years after meltdown. The fungus was thriving in a highly radioactive zone. Why? Is the fungus harvesting radiation for growth?
However, later research, putting such fungi on the outer shield of the space station, open to solar and cosmic radiation, came up with a surprise. The fungus has developed an ability to block radiation – and it remains viable and active in extreme conditions. Scientists are now thinking of adopting such fungi for specialist reasons. They think it could be used as an ally during human excursions into space. Can it be engineered into habitat shielding to protect humans in space?