RARAF – Dissemination

During the more than three decades that RARAF has been in operation, experiments have been performed for over 40 different research groups from more than 25 institutions including universities, national laboratories, cancer centers, and private corporations. These experiments, performed with particulate radiations such as protons, alpha particles and neutrons, have resulted in more than 200 publications in refereed journals, proceedings, and books. Research has been conducted in the fields of radiation biology, radiological physics, radiation chemistry, health physics, and medicine.

• A complete list of RARAF publications can be downloaded here.

• A list of recent (since 1997) publications with full text when available can be found here.

• A feature on RARAF recently appearing in the NCRR Reporter can be found here.

• RARAF annual reports (1998-2006) can be found here.

Microbeam techniques, in which cells on a dish are individually irradiated by a predefined, exact number (including one) of alpha particles, have contributed to discussions both in understanding the fundamental mechanisms by which ionizing radiation produces genetic changes to cells and in determining the risk associated with low-dose radiation exposure. Examples of these contributions are to be found in the following:

• select journal articles based on microbeam research
• select commentaries on microbeam research
• select news clippings on microbeam research

In journals...

Select papers are available online. (This requires Adobe Acrobat Reader. Download available below.)

A description of the current microbeam setup can be found in Radiation Research:

• The Columbia University single-ion microbeam. Randers-Pehrson G. et al. Radiat. Res. 156:210-214, 2001. (279 KB PDF file)

Additionally, RARAF is busy developing more accurate and precise microprobes. The latest study was published in Review of Scientific Instruments:

• Theoretical study of short electrostatic lens for the Columbia ion microprobe. Dymnikov et al. Rev. Sci. Inst. 71: 1646-1650, 2000. (72 KB PDF file)

These papers, biological experiments based on research performed at RARAF, were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (USA):

•  Radiation risk to low fluences of alpha particles may be greater than we thought. Zhou et al. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 98:14410-14415, 2001. (363 KB PDF file)
• Induction of a bystander mutagenic effect of alpha particles in mammalian cells. Zhou et al. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 97: 2099-2104, 2000. (120 KB PDF file)
• Targeted cytoplasmic irradiation with alpha particles induces mutations in mammalian cells. Wu et al. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 96: 4959-4964, 1999. (190 KB PDF file)
• The oncogenic transforming potential of the passage of single alpha particles through mammalian cell nuclei. Miller et al. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 96: 19-22, 1999. (159 KB PDF file)
• Mutagenic effects of a single and an exact number of alpha particles in mammalian cells. Hei et al. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 94: 3765-3770, 1997. (369 KB PDF file)

The above findings have stimulated the interest of both the scientific community and the general populace as evidenced below.

In response...

Perhaps as exciting as the above findings is the interest that these results have generated, as evidenced by the following commentaries appearing in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (USA):

• Radiation-induced mutations in unirradiated DNA. Grosovsky, A.J. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 96: 5346-5347, 1999. (36 KB PDF file)
• What are the risks of low-level exposure to alpha radiation from radon? Little, J.B. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 94: 5996-5997, 1997. (110 KB PDF file)

In the news...

RARAF is making news around the world due to the groundbreaking research performed on the microbeam. (Click on the images to read the articles.)

	In Germany, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung ran an article concerning the research published in PNAS by Zhou et al in 2001 (see above).
	In France, La Recherche ran an article on the research published in PNAS by Wu et al (see above).
	In England, the London Times ran an article on the use of the microbeam in estimating the risk of radon-induced lung cancer.

RARAF is making news at home as well...

RARAF is making news in journals tailored to both the scientific community and the general populace as well...

• Research Roundup: Greater Risk from Radiation?, J Cell Biol 156:10, 2002.

• Low Radiation Doses May Pose High Risk, Cat Lazaroff, Environment News Service 2001.

• Low Radiation Hurts Bystander Cells, Ben Harder, Science News, 2001.

• Risks of Low-Level Radiation Higher than Thought, Hazel Muir, New Scientist, 2001.

• Unsafe at Any Dose, Terri Mitchell, Life Extension, 2001. (coming soon)

• Study Finds New Path for Radiation Damage, Robert Cooke, Newsday, 1999.

• More than One Way to Mutate a Cell's DNA, L. Helmuth, Science News, 1999.

• Increased Cancer Risk from X-rays is Discovered, Columbia University Record, 1999.

• Radiation May Cause DNA Changes, Paul Recer, Associated Press, 1999.

• Alpha Radiation Can Damage DNA Even when It Misses the Cell Nucleus, Physics Today, 1999. [page 1] [page 2]

Site developed by CE, page last modified by JL on November 29, 2007.

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