Eating gamma radiation for breakfast: Some fungal species appear to be able to use strong radiation as an energy source for growth.
Could the fungi be using the extremely high-energy gamma radiation as an energy source in the same way that plants use sunlight?
The key to it all seemed to be melanin – the ubiquitous group of pigments found in many types of eukaryote that protect against UV radiation
Many fungal fossils show evidence of melanisation, especially in periods of high radiation when many animal and plant species died out
Could you replace them with plants or fungi that use melanin instead of chlorophyll?