How could living cells harness nuclear radiation for energy?

Question: many SF stories (e.g. The Expanse) put living organisms in highly radioactive environments and show them consuming that energy in some way. How might organisms put into these environments be able to harness this freely available form of energy?

My background isn't biology so I don't know the whole answer but I know enough about radiation that I would assume the best candidates would be beta and alpha particles of lower energy. However, I'd like the answer to include discussions of other radiation forms:

1. Alpha (Helium nuclei)
2. Beta (electron)
3. Gamma (high energy photon)
4. proton (e.g. from solar wind)
5. neutron (typically from reactors)
6. fission products (high energy positively charged nuclei formed by splitting large nuclei)
7. other (anything else you care to discuss such as antimatter, positrons, x-rays, cosmic rays, etc.)

posted over 6 years ago

Jim2B‭

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