A biomimetic approach to radiation shielding: the case of melanized fungi

Thomas Vasileiou

ACT

Melanized fungi have been shown to thrive in environments with high radionuclide concentrations, which led to the association of the pigment melanin with the protection against ionizing radiation. A better understanding of the mechanisms that connect melanin to the increased tolerance of organisms to ionizing radiation could lead to technology transfer to space-related applications. In this presentation, we follow a biomimetic approach: we test two of current hypotheses and discuss how they could be applied to radiation shield designs.