Supernature: Notes on the Worms of Chernobyl

Nematodes collected from the CEZ

(as seen under a microscope)
Image: Sophia Tintori / NYU 

 

 

I.

 

First it was the mutant wolves [1], then the black-skinned tree frogs [2], now it's the nematode worms living in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone (CEZ) that are making the headlines; apparently they have developed a new superpower - immunity to radiation [3]. 

 

I have to admit, that's a bit disappointing. For when I first heard of this story I couldn't help imagining that the tiny creatures were now able to move faster than a speeding bullet, or leap tall buildings in a single bound. 

 

Alas, that's not the case, and one rather wishes that scientists (and/or journalists who report on scientific research) would moderate their language. Still, it's an exciting discovery nevertheless and only makes these resilient worms even more astonishing than they already were.

 

 

II.   

 

Commonly known as roundworms or eelworms, nematodes are an extraordinarily diverse group of genetically non-complex animals that have been inhabiting a wide range of environments for at least 400 million years (and perhaps more than twice that long).

 

In fact, nematodes have successfully adapted to almost every ecosystem; from the polar regions to the tropics. Wherever you look - from mountain tops to deep beneath the surface of the sea - you'll find these tiny worms living and reproducing quite happily.   

 

Most species are free-living and feed on micro-organisms, but many are parasitic and some of these can cause disease in plants and animals (including human beings).

 

It's uncertain how many species of nematode there are; guesstimates range from the tens of thousands to over a million and there are so many of them that they account for around 80% of all individual animals on Earth. And we think the planet belongs to us ...

 

When taken into space aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia in 2003, a group of nematodes did just fine, even surviving a virtually unprotected re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere. In the same year, an individual roundworm was revived after surviving for approximately 46,000 years in Siberian permafrost [4].    

 

In sum: nematodes even outside the CEZ might be said to possess superpowers and it makes me happy to know that, long after we are no more, they will still be. 

 

Notes

 

[1] See 'Cara Love and the Mutant Wolves of Chernobyl' (14 Feb 2024): click here. 

 

[2] See 'Reflections on the Black Tree Frogs of Chernobyl' (22 Feb 2024): click here.

 

[3] Readers who wish to know more about the research carried out by Sophia Tintori and her colleagues from NYU should click here.

 

[4] In a research project published in 2012, it was found that Antarctic nematodes were able to withstand intracellular freezing providing they were well nourished.