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Unnatural Laboratories
Chernobyl was the worst nuclear plant disaster in Russia and the world. It contaminated the region around it and forced the evacuation of nearby towns. The area is still abandoned and will remain so for many more years. However, life still exists there. Anything that couldn't escape, such as the trees and microbes, either coped with the radioactivity or perished.
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Enlisting New Fighters
Radioactivity
can increase the rate of mutation, directly changing the genetic code
inside living cells. Therefore, radioactive environments are unusual laboratories
where new mutations are more common, and may be good locations to look
for new and helpful strains of microbes. 
Researchers
Hunter-Cevera and Yuri Gleba are examining how the microbes have fared
in their new stressful environment. The effect on microbes isn't easy
to observe, so samples need to be collected at the site and taken back
to the lab for examination. Scientists are still studying the samples
to determine if they can be used to fight disease. But something beneficial
may eventually be derived from this terrible disaster.