Accelerator-based radiation sources for next-generation radiobiological research

The Idaho Accelerator Center (IAC) of Idaho State University has developed a unique radiation research facility to answer next-generation radiobiological questions. The IAC has 10 operating research accelerators. These include continuously delivered radiation beams such as a 950 keV electron beam and a 2 MeV light-ion Van de Graaff. The IAC also has a number of pulsed electron linacs which range in energy from 4 to 40 MeV. The most intense amongst them deliver peak dose rates greater than 1012 Gy/s. The operational flexibility of pulsed electron linacs allows control of peak and average dose rate, pulse separation and total dose over many orders of magnitude in these parameters. These high dose rates also allow delivery of large doses on time scales that are very small when compared to biological responses. The spectrum of particle beams that the IAC can deliver includes alphas, protons, neutrons, electrons (betas), and gammas (X-rays). Current radiobiological research at the IAC is focused upon radiation effects in unicellular organisms. The effectiveness of extremely high dose rate electron irradiation for the neutralization of microbes is being investigated. Concurrently, we are characterizing the survival mechanisms employed by microbes when exposed to these extremely high doses and dose rates. We have isolated strains from several diverse species that show increased radiation-resistance over normal populations. In addition, we were the first to demonstrate radiation-induced Bystander effects in unicellular organisms. Because of the numerous and diverse accelerators at the IAC, these and many other novel radiobiological investigations are readily attainable.