Scientists Find Minimal DNA Impact from Chernobyl Background Radiation on a Nematode Species
Researchers from a major US university report that long term background radiation in the Chernobyl exclusion zone has hardly any effect on the DNA of a tiny worm species called Oscheius Tipulae. The findings were published in a respected scientific journal from the National Academy of Sciences group.
Earlier work showed that plants and animals living near the Chernobyl nuclear plant in northern Ukraine differ from relatives elsewhere, not just in appearance but in their genomes. The genetic changes are linked to ongoing exposure to radiation in that region.
In a 2019 field campaign, scientists collected specimens of Oscheius Tipulae from the Chernobyl exclusion zone and preserved them for extended study. The team then sequenced the worms from the zone and compared their genetic code with that of O. Tipulae from other global locations.
Across all analyses, researchers found no clear evidence of radiation-induced damage to the Chernobyl worms’ genomes.
Scientists explain this resilience as a result of adaptation to living under extreme environmental stress, including chronic radiation exposure.
The broader aim of studying how simple organisms react to radioactive mutagens is to gain insight into the mechanisms behind individual resistance to mutations observed in humans and other species.
Earlier researchers noted that wild dogs living in the Chernobyl zone exhibit a distinctive genomic structure, illustrating how radiation exposure can drive genetic differences in wildlife over time.