<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto">Ray, this is fascinating! Could it be the savior we are looking for?<div>Thanks for some positive info during the holidays.</div><div><br></div><div>Have you run this by Ace Hoffman?</div><div>Happy Holidays!<br id="lineBreakAtBeginningOfSignature"><div dir="ltr">Sent from my iPhone</div><div dir="ltr"><br><blockquote type="cite">On Dec 20, 2024, at 2:59 PM, Ray Lutz <raylutz@citizensoversight.org> wrote:<br><br></blockquote></div><blockquote type="cite"><div dir="ltr">
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<h1 class="fs-headline speakable-headline font-base font-size fs-headline__standard" style="box-sizing: inherit; font: 400 48px / 1.2 "SchnyderS demi", Garamond, serif; margin-block: 0px; margin: 8px 0px 0px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">This
Black Fungus Might Be Healing Chernobyl By Drinking Radiation—A
Biologist Explains</h1>
<p><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/scotttravers/2024/11/02/this-black-fungus-might-be-healing-chernobyl-by-drinking-radiation-a-biologist-explains/">https://www.forbes.com/sites/scotttravers/2024/11/02/this-black-fungus-might-be-healing-chernobyl-by-drinking-radiation-a-biologist-explains/</a></p>
<p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.2rem; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">The
explosion of the No. 4 reactor of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power
Plant near Pripyat, Ukraine on April 26, 1986 remains the worst
nuclear disaster in human history. It left a 30-kilometer
exclusion zone—a deserted landscape where high radiation levels
remain even now, decades after the incident—where human settlement
and habitation are restricted.</p>
<div class="halfway_hardwall_1" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.2rem; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"></div>
<div class="article_paragraph_2" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.2rem; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"></div>
<p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.2rem; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">Within
this zone, however, scientists have discovered an unlikely
survivor: a resilient black fungus called<span> </span><em style="box-sizing: inherit; font-style: italic;">Cladosporium
sphaerospermum.</em><span> </span>After the Chernobyl disaster,
scientists observed patches of blackened growths on the walls of
the No. 4 reactor—fungi that seemed to thrive where the radiation
was highest.</p>
<p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.2rem; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">This
fungus has adapted to a level of radiation that would be lethal
for most life forms. Even more fascinating is its ability to
“feed” on this radiation, using it as a source of energy, similar
to how plants use sunlight for photosynthesis.</p>
<div class="halfway_hardwall_3" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.2rem; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"></div>
<p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.2rem; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">Further
research discovered that<span> </span><em style="box-sizing: inherit; font-style: italic;">C.
sphaerospermum<span> </span></em>and some other black fungi
species, like<span> </span><em style="box-sizing: inherit; font-style: italic;">Wangiella
dermatitis<span> </span></em>and<span> </span><em style="box-sizing: inherit; font-style: italic;">Cryptococcus
neoformans,</em><span> </span>possessed melanin, the pigment
responsible for human skin color. However, in these fungi, the
melanin served a different purpose: it absorbed radiation, which
was then converted into usable energy, allowing it to grow in
areas with intense radioactive exposure.</p>
<div class="halfway_hardwall_4" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.2rem; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"></div>
<p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.2rem; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">It’s
a remarkable adaptation that offers a glimpse into how life can
flourish in some of the most extreme and hostile places on the
planet.</p>
<p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.2rem; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"><em style="box-sizing: inherit; font-style: italic;">Cladosporium
sphaerospermum<span> </span></em>belongs to a group of fungi
known as radiotrophic fungi. Radiotrophic organisms can capture
and utilize ionizing radiation to drive metabolic processes.</p>
<p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.2rem; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">In
the case of<span> </span><em style="box-sizing: inherit; font-style: italic;">C.
sphaerospermum,<span> </span></em>its high melanin content
allows it to absorb radiation, similar to how plants absorb
sunlight through chlorophyll, according to an October 2008<span> </span><a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2677413/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="color-link" title="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2677413/" data-ga-track="ExternalLink:https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2677413/" aria-label="article" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 56, 145); cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;">article</a><span> </span>published
in the<span> </span><em style="box-sizing: inherit; font-style: italic;">National
Library of Medicine</em>.</p>
<p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.2rem; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">While
this process is not identical to photosynthesis, it serves a
comparable purpose and converts energy from the environment to
sustain growth. This phenomenon, called radiosynthesis, has opened
up exciting avenues in biochemistry and radiation research.</p>
<p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.2rem; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">Melanin,
found in many living organisms, acts as a natural shield against
UV radiation. However, in<span> </span><em style="box-sizing: inherit; font-style: italic;">C.
sphaerospermum,<span> </span></em>it does more than shield: it
facilitates energy production by converting gamma radiation into
chemical energy.</p>
<p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.2rem; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">An<span> </span><a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0000457" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="color-link" title="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0000457" data-ga-track="ExternalLink:https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0000457" aria-label="article" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 56, 145); cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;">article</a><span> </span>published
in the journal<span> </span><em style="box-sizing: inherit; font-style: italic;">PLOS ONE</em><span> </span>in
2007 confirmed this unusual energy production mechanism, showing
that fungi like<span> </span><em style="box-sizing: inherit; font-style: italic;">C.
sphaerospermum<span> </span></em>grown in high-radiation
environments tend to grow faster than those in non-radioactive
conditions. It is a discovery that is reshaping scientists’
understanding of the survival strategies of<span> </span><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/scotttravers/2024/09/13/3-reasons-why-tardigrades-are-supernatural-spoiler-they-can-survive-in-space/" target="_self" class="color-link" title="https://www.forbes.com/sites/scotttravers/2024/09/13/3-reasons-why-tardigrades-are-supernatural-spoiler-they-can-survive-in-space/" data-ga-track="InternalLink:https://www.forbes.com/sites/scotttravers/2024/09/13/3-reasons-why-tardigrades-are-supernatural-spoiler-they-can-survive-in-space/" aria-label="extremophiles" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 56, 145); cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;"><strong data-ga-track="InternalLink:https://www.forbes.com/sites/scotttravers/2024/09/13/3-reasons-why-tardigrades-are-supernatural-spoiler-they-can-survive-in-space/" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: 700;">extremophiles</strong></a>—organisms
that can withstand extreme environmental conditions.</p>
<h2 class="subhead-embed color-accent bg-base font-accent font-size text-align" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-block: 0px; font-size: 24px; font-weight: 700; line-height: 1.25; margin: 1.2rem 0px; scroll-margin-top: 64px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Merriweather, GeorgiaCustom; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">Radiotrophic
Fungi May Be An Ally In Battling Radiation</h2>
<p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.2rem; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">The
discovery of<span> </span><em style="box-sizing: inherit; font-style: italic;">C.
sphaerospermum<span> </span></em>in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone
has brought renewed attention to radiotrophic fungi, particularly
for their potential role in bioremediation—the process of using
living organisms to remove pollutants from the environment.</p>
<p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.2rem; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">In
radioactive sites like Chernobyl, where conventional cleanup
methods are challenging and hazardous, radiotrophic fungi can
provide a safer, natural alternative, according to an April 2008<span> </span><a href="https://academic.oup.com/femsle/article-abstract/281/2/109/474059?redirectedFrom=fulltext&login=false" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="color-link" title="https://academic.oup.com/femsle/article-abstract/281/2/109/474059?redirectedFrom=fulltext&login=false" data-ga-track="ExternalLink:https://academic.oup.com/femsle/article-abstract/281/2/109/474059?redirectedFrom=fulltext&login=false" aria-label="article" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 56, 145); cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;">article</a><span> </span>published
in<span> </span><em style="box-sizing: inherit; font-style: italic;">FEMS
Microbiology Letters</em>. Since<span> </span><em style="box-sizing: inherit; font-style: italic;">C.
sphaerospermum<span> </span></em>can absorb radiation and use it
as fuel, scientists are exploring the feasibility of deploying
these fungi to contain and potentially reduce radiation levels in
contaminated areas.</p>
<p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.2rem; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">Beyond
the borders of the exclusion zone, scientists are investigating
other applications, especially in the field of space exploration.
The harsh, radiation-heavy environment of space is one of the most
significant challenges facing long-term missions to Mars and
beyond.</p>
<p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.2rem; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"><em style="box-sizing: inherit; font-style: italic;">C.
sphaerospermum<span> </span></em>has already been sent to the
International Space Station (ISS) for experiments to determine
whether its unique radiation tolerance could protect astronauts
from cosmic radiation.<span> </span><a href="https://roundupreads.jsc.nasa.gov/roundup/2038" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="color-link" title="https://roundupreads.jsc.nasa.gov/roundup/2038" data-ga-track="ExternalLink:https://roundupreads.jsc.nasa.gov/roundup/2038" aria-label="Early results" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 56, 145); cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;">Early
results</a><span> </span>have been promising, suggesting that
this fungus could potentially be used to develop
radiation-resistant habitats or even provide radiation-shielded
food sources for space travelers.</p>
<h2 class="subhead-embed color-accent bg-base font-accent font-size text-align" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-block: 0px; font-size: 24px; font-weight: 700; line-height: 1.25; margin: 1.2rem 0px; scroll-margin-top: 64px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Merriweather, GeorgiaCustom; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">The
Power Of Adaptation To Drive Innovation</h2>
<p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.2rem; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">In
addition to its unique feeding habits,<span> </span><em style="box-sizing: inherit; font-style: italic;">C.
sphaerospermum<span> </span></em>is also renowned for its
hardiness. It can withstand low temperatures, high salt
concentrations and extreme acidity, making it one of the most
resilient fungi discovered.</p>
<p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.2rem; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">Its
ability to adapt to hostile environments has given researchers
hope that it may hold clues for further studies into stress
tolerance mechanisms, which could lead to advancements in
biotechnology and agriculture. For example, genes responsible for
this hardiness and resilience might one day be used to develop
radiation-resistant materials or be adapted to help crops survive
in harsh climates.</p>
<p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.2rem; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"><em style="box-sizing: inherit; font-style: italic;">C.
sphaerospermum<span> </span></em>also offers hope in addressing
some pressing environmental challenges—could it possibly play a
role in cleaning up radioactive waste, perhaps?</p>
<p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.2rem; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">As
research continues, the lessons we learn from this amazing fungi
could inspire innovation in a wide range of fields, and in the
process, understanding the boundaries of life itself.</p>
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<div class="author-wrapper" style="box-sizing: inherit; display: flex; font: 600 14px / 16px "Work Sans", sans-serif; width: 351.344px;"><a class="author-name speakable-author contrib-byline-author" href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/scotttravers/" title="https://www.forbes.com/sites/scotttravers/" aria-label="Scott Travers" data-ga-track="contrib block byline" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: rgb(51, 51, 51); cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline">
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<p class="contrib-bio" data-author-html-description="<p>I am an American evolutionary biologist, based at Rutgers University, where I specialize in biodiversity, evolution, and genomics. Drop me a note, <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://buymeacoffee.com/scotttravers">here</a>. Thanks for your readership and support.</p>" data-is-expanded="true" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; font: 400 14px / 25px "Work Sans", sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"></p>
<p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; display: inline;">I am
an American evolutionary biologist, based at Rutgers University,
where I specialize in biodiversity, evolution, and genomics. Drop
me a note,<span> </span><a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://buymeacoffee.com/scotttravers" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 56, 145); cursor: pointer;">here</a>.
Thanks for your readership and support.</p>
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<pre class="moz-signature" cols="72">--
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Ray Lutz
Citizens' Oversight Projects (COPs)
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.citizensoversight.org">http://www.citizensoversight.org</a>
619-820-5321</pre>
<span>_______________________________________________</span><br><span>Shutsanonofre mailing list</span><br><span>Shutsanonofre@citizensoversight.org</span><br><span>http://lists.citizensoversight.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/shutsanonofre</span><br></div></blockquote></div></body></html>