Curious Clinicians - The Mold that Eats Radiation for Breakfast (2025-2026)
Podcast
0.5 MOC ...Faculty
OVERVIEW
Curious Clinicians - The Mold that Eats Radiation for Breakfast (2025-2026) is organized by VCU Health Continuing Education.
Wednesday, September 24, 2025, 12:00 PM - Thursday, December 31, 2026, 11:59 PM
Description:
In recent Curious Clinicians episode about the tragedy of Chernobyl and the public-health effort to distribute iodine pills to the victims, we mentioned that the reactor that exploded (and even some of the wider fallout area) is now host to a curious organism: A black fungus that apparently eats radiation. How does radiation, which usually kills living things, end up sustaining something?
Objectives:
Upon completion of this activity, you will be able to:
- Describe black fungi that grow near Chernobyl and explain how they survive in radiation.
- Explain how melanin in black fungi may help them use radiation for energy, and describe how this could be useful for future space missions, such as a mission to Mars.
- Identify Deinococcus radiodurans as one of the most radiation-resistant organisms and explain what makes it resilient to high levels of radiation.
ACCREDITATION & CREDITS
Credits:
Accreditation:
In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by Curious Clinicians and VCU Health Continuing Education. VCU Health Continuing Education is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
VCU Health Continuing Education designates this enduring material activity for a maximum of 0.50 AMA PRA Category 1 CreditsTM. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Successful completion of this CME activity, which includes participation in the evaluation component, enables the participant to earn up to 0.50 MOC points in the American Board of Internal Medicine’s (ABIM) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program. It is the CME activity provider’s responsibility to submit participant completion information to ACCME for the purpose of granting ABIM MOC credit.
TARGET AUDIENCE
PhysicianPhysician AssistantSPECIALITIES
Medical Education
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