Prime Base

[mmartin798]

Originally Posted by midnight77

Don't they concentrate the radioactive material also? That makes it easier to clean up, right?

The article I read about them did not address that. The one bacteria in the pair derives biological energy from the radiation, essentially using the radiation for food. This protects the other from the radiation and allows it to do the rest. It is possible it could concentrate the radiation, but the article only mentioned breaking down toxins and releasing mercury from being bound and allowing it to go into the atmosphere.

[ArmySGT.]

Originally Posted by mmartin798

The article I read about them did not address that. The one bacteria in the pair derives biological energy from the radiation, essentially using the radiation for food. This protects the other from the radiation and allows it to do the rest. It is possible it could concentrate the radiation, but the article only mentioned breaking down toxins and releasing mercury from being bound and allowing it to go into the atmosphere.

This would be radiosynthesis, a process by which the organism uses the energetic radioactive particles to synthesize O2 and Carbon into carbohydrate chains. A process similar to chemosynthesis or photosynthesis. There is a mold within the shattered nuclear containment vessel at Chernobyl doing this very thing. However, this would not be consuming the radioactive material. One would expect the levels of measurable radiation to be lower due the absorptive properties of the organism. Absorption being affected by the mass of the organism and coverage in square centimeters, surely.