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Re:Chernobyl Fungus Feeds On Radiation (2007) by ChuckMcM on Tuesday November 19, 2013 @02:55PM (#6763954)
So following up later papers that cite the original [1] doesn't seem like this has gone very far. A number of papers collecting extremofile exemplars, and a few thinking about energy sources. But nothing on 'space food', 'radioactive remediation', or analysis of the energy source in humans. Sigh.

[1] http://scholar.google.com/scholar?cites=14704617567455474393...

Re:Chernobyl Fungus Feeds On Radiation (2007) by mileszim on Tuesday November 19, 2013 @03:31PM (#6764230)
The problem is that the active molecule itself has a complex structure, and it is very hard to get a high-resolution image of even one of its structures (melanin can be folded in lots of ways). There's some potential for better imaging with fairly recent discoveries in partial-wavelength resolution microscopy using weak-measurement, but it's still a new technology. Melanin's mechanism for absorbing ionizing radiation, if understood, will definitely open up major applications for a perfected, synthesized solution.