Chernobyl is a dangerous place to be due to high levels of radiation still present in the area following the 1986 nuclear disaster, one of the worst in the human history. Humans have to get special permission to visit the area, and most of us steer clear of the place. But animals? It appears the 2,600 square kilometre Chernobyl Exclusion Zone (CEZ) has become an animal sanctuary. Recently, a team of researchers found tiny worms found in CEZ that surprisingly show no signs of radiation damage.

The team was led by Sophia Tintori of New York University, according to Live Science. These researchers collected nematodes from the area and found they are resilient and adroitly adapt to the conditions unhospitable to other species.

The team concluded that these worms could offer insights into DNA repair mechanisms that could one day be adapted for human use.

“Chornobyl (the Ukrainian spelling of the place) was a tragedy of incomprehensible scale, but we still don’t have a great grasp on the effects of the disaster on local populations. Did the sudden environmental shift select for species, or even individuals within a species, that are naturally more resistant to ionizing radiation?” Ms Tintori is quoted as saying by Live Science.

This question led her team to investigate nematodes – microscopic roundworms – living close to the nuclear reactor to find out how they survived such harsh atmosphere.

These worms have simple genomes and a short lifespan, which enabled researchers to study their multiple generations. The genomes of nematodes from Chernobyl were compared to worms from other parts of the world – the Philippines, Germany, the United States, Mauritius and Australia.

While the Chernobyl nematodes were different from other worms, signs of DNA damage from radiation were lacking.

The team also found different generations of nematodes had different tolerance levels, which could help scientists figure out why some humans are more susceptible to cancer than others.

“Thinking about how individuals respond differently to DNA-damaging agents in the environment is something that will help us have a clear vision of our own risk factors,” said Ms Tintori.

The research was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences earlier this year.