Tiny worms living in the radioactive Chernobyl Exclusion Zone (CEZ) surprisingly show no signs of radiation damage in their genes. Researchers compared the worms’ genomes to those from non- irradiated areas and found no mutations caused by radiation.

This doesn’t mean the zone is safe, but suggests these worms have remarkable resilience to radiation. Studying these worms might provide insights into DNA repair mechanisms that could benefit human health research, such as understanding why some people are more susceptible to cancers caused by DNA damage.

  • AggressivelyPassive@feddit.de
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    8 months ago

    Unethical experiment, but it would be really interesting to see the effects of mildly higher background radiation like this on humans.

    As far as I know, we barely have any data on radiation exposure, and the data we have, is about ingesting caesium or high exposure over a short time.