Fungus Discovered On Chernobyl Walls Has Mutated To Consume Nuclear Radiation Scientists studying the ruins of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant discovered a unique group of fungi that appear to feed on nuclear radiation, a phenomenon known as radiotrophy. These fungi thrive in highly radioactive environments where most life cannot survive, using radiation as an energy source to fuel their growth. The fungi contain high levels of melanin, the same pigment that gives human skin its color. In thes