Does exposure to low dose radiation increase mutation rate? A case study of mammals inhabiting the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone, Ukraine
Main funder
Funder's project number: 353973
Funds granted by main funder (€)
- 102 557,00
Funding program
Project timetable
Project start date: 07/07/2022
Project end date: 31/12/2024
Summary
In this project, Ukrainian post-doctoral researcher Dr Eugene Tukalenko will quantify the effects of exposure to radionuclides on mutation rates in (1) wildlife and (2) their gut microbiota to determine whether chronic exposure to low dose radiation can elevate mutation rate in different organisms (mammal and bacteria). This analysis is feasible as we have access to complete mitogenomes (for bank voles) and assembled metagenomes (for gut bacteria) inhabiting contaminated and uncontaminated areas; crucially, these samples have been collected across different time points, which allows us to quantify whether radionuclide contamination associated with changes in genetic diversity over time in taxa that differ in radiosensitivity (mammals and bacteria). Dr Tukalenko’s experience in radioecology, microbiota and molecular biology provides essential background to interpreting the data from an experiment conducted in the unique study area of the accident site at Chornobyl, Ukraine. With large areas of Ukraine occupied by Russian military forces, and access to the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone (CEZ) restricted due to its sensitive nature, collecting data for similar studies will not be possible for the foreseeable future.
The project will be done in the University of Jyväskylä and it will be led by Dr Eugene Tukalenko who will work in close collaboration with Profs Tapio Mappes and Phill Watts, who have long experience in supervising studies about the ecological and evolutionary response of wildlife and their microbiota to environment change. In particular, both Profs Mappes and Watts have collaborated for over a decade with Ukrainian colleagues to understand the impacts of exposure to environmental radionuclides in wildlife.
While the impacts of exposure to a high dose of radiation are uncontroversial, whether humans and wildlife exposed to lower levels of radionuclides in the environment remains unresolved. Moreover, radionuclide contamination was a widely-publicised potential threat to the environment and society during the start of the invasion of Ukraine when the CEZ and the working Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant were attacked and occupied. By quantify whether exposure to chronic, low dose radiation can elevate mutation rate, the proposed research has wide scientific and societal importance because it addresses important consequences of environmental radionuclide contamination.
The project will be done in the University of Jyväskylä and it will be led by Dr Eugene Tukalenko who will work in close collaboration with Profs Tapio Mappes and Phill Watts, who have long experience in supervising studies about the ecological and evolutionary response of wildlife and their microbiota to environment change. In particular, both Profs Mappes and Watts have collaborated for over a decade with Ukrainian colleagues to understand the impacts of exposure to environmental radionuclides in wildlife.
While the impacts of exposure to a high dose of radiation are uncontroversial, whether humans and wildlife exposed to lower levels of radionuclides in the environment remains unresolved. Moreover, radionuclide contamination was a widely-publicised potential threat to the environment and society during the start of the invasion of Ukraine when the CEZ and the working Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant were attacked and occupied. By quantify whether exposure to chronic, low dose radiation can elevate mutation rate, the proposed research has wide scientific and societal importance because it addresses important consequences of environmental radionuclide contamination.
