Development, characterization, and application of a charged particle microbeam for radiobiological research

The goal of this work is to develop a charged-particle microbeam for use in radiobiological research at the MIT Laboratory for Accelerator Beam Applications (LABA). The purpose of this device is to precisely explore the radiation response of biological systems on a cellular and subcellular level, particularly in the area of temporal and spatial effects of radiation on in vitro systems. An accelerator-based 750 keV proton source was characterized and integrated into a laboratory-scale device that includes a deflection/gating system, single-particle detection system, imaging and positioning system, and a collimation system with two designed modes: a "charged-particle microslit" for delivering a -3 micron by 1 mm dose profile; and a pinhole aperture for delivering a -3 micron diameter pattern of radiation. The entire device measures less than 4 m, requires minimal radiation shielding, and utilizes a dedicated ion source. The charged particle microslit has been fully characterized and used to deliver a radiation pattern to a series of mammalian fibroblast cell monolayers that have subsequently been assayed for direct and indirect chemical effects of radiation, double-stranded DNA damage, and DNA repair protein localization. These studies will contribute to the understanding of the radiation-induced bystander effect, which is generally defined as the induction of biological effects in cells that are not directly traversed by ionizing radiation.

Department dc:contributor.department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Nuclear Engineering

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2005

Author dc:creator

• Folkert, Michael R. (Michael Ryan), 1975-

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Jacquelyn Yanch.

• Nuclear Engineering.

Statement dc:rights

• M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/34434
• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Identifier URI

http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/34434

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/34434