Evidence trail
Three decades, three breakthroughs.
Each step is independently published. Aeginis starts where they converge.
Fungi at Chernobyl
Melanized fungi found thriving inside the reactor (Zhdanova et al.) grow toward radiation sources.
Melanin converts radiation
Dadachova et al. show melanin converts gamma radiation into usable chemical energy, analogous to photosynthesis.
ISS flight experiment
Cladosporium sphaerospermum aboard the ISS attenuates radiation, the first direct evidence a living organism can shield in space.
NASA myco-architecture
A $2M Phase III programme tests mycelium composites at Brookhaven National Laboratory for growing off-world habitats.
Aeginis
Fusing radiotrophic biology with grown habitat structure into one flight-qualified product.
The data
What the experiments show.
Different radiation types, thicknesses and setups. Together they show the effect is real and that it scales with thickness. Sources: bioRxiv 2020; NASA NIAC / Brookhaven National Laboratory.
Both figures are modelling results from different studies (NASA/ISS modelling; bioRxiv 2020), drawn to scale and not a like-for-like test.
One Mars mission delivers about 68% more than NASA's proposed career limit. Source: Curiosity RAD instrument; National Academies space radiation report.
Mechanism
Melanin as a radiation transducer.
In radiotrophic fungi, melanin in the cell wall absorbs ionizing radiation and the cell turns part of that energy into a usable chemical form, which is why growth can even be directed toward radiation sources.
Why space needs new biology
Years from home, with no resupply.
Months of usable shelf life. Missions to Mars last years, with no resupply and no quick return home.
In astronauts on 6 to 12 month ISS missions, gut, skin, nose and tongue microbes all shifted, with changes linked to skin rashes and immune alteration.
That is why our crew-health programme focuses on probiotics, prebiotics and microbiome-friendly care products.
Astronauts lose roughly 1 to 2% of bone density a month in microgravity.
Martian dust is very fine and contains 0.5 to 1% perchlorate, which interferes with thyroid function.
No approved drug protects against deep-space cosmic radiation.
Our position
We are not claiming first discovery. We are the first engineering that fuses these results into one product.
Sources
Where our numbers come from.
Dose and shielding mass
Curiosity RAD instrument; National Academies space radiation report; NASA/ISS shielding modelling.
Radiotrophic biology
Zhdanova et al. (1991); Dadachova et al. (2007); bioRxiv study of Cladosporium sphaerospermum on the ISS (2020).
Myco-composite testing
NASA NIAC myco-architecture programme; testing at Brookhaven National Laboratory.
Space microbiome and storage
Published ISS microbiome studies and spaceflight medicine shelf-life reviews. Our descriptions refer to studies by other groups.
Questions
Science FAQ.
Did fungi really shield radiation on the ISS?
A melanized fungus grown aboard the ISS attenuated about 2.4% of radiation at under 2 mm thickness, and modelling projects a roughly 1 m fungal-regolith composite would cut Mars surface dose to Earth-normal levels.
Is the effect proven at full scale?
Not yet. That is the purpose of our staged coupon, subscale and full-scale programme.
Do your products claim proven benefit in space?
No. Our descriptions refer to published studies by other groups and do not claim that our products have been proven in space.
Let's build the next shield together.
Space agencies, station builders, research institutes and sustainable-construction partners: we would like to hear from you.