LhARA radiobiology; meeting: 05Feb26; 14:00 BST

ZOOM: ​https://imperial-ac-uk.zoom.us/j/98220889714?pwd=SM90vOF7BKSXoU3mD9q7OwBQo4IVB3.1

Attended: KL, RW, CW, RA, PH, MB, AFr, MH, EM, CD

Meeting Notes

1. Minutes and actions completed:
   • AFr, DA: Write out RCF procedure document
     • DONE
   • CD: Use sim to answer how many protons per shot in each fibre
     • DONE

2. In-Person Meeting

• Date: DECIDED 24th Feb at Birmingham
• Discussion on location
  • Confirmed Birmingham. Jason and Emma to book a room for max 20 people.
  • Invite LMU to join online
  • Invite Liverpool to share their work on air scintillation
  • Invite Chris Armstrong to join for instrumentation section
• Draft Agenda: ​https://indico.stfc.ac.uk/event/1834/
  • Make clear to include timetables for SCAPA and ELIMED (and LMU)
  • Make clear a section on improved survival rates of cells

3. SCAPA RW,ED:

• General Update
  • Laser fixed
  • Running a DSTL till mid-march, going to be around April before access again
  • Josie asked for Dipoles from IoM charity. Waiting outcome

4. Bio EM,JP,MB:

• Actions Checklist
  • MB/EM: Send and evaluate the cells
    • Delivered
  • EM, JMcG: Write up summary of PoPLaR Phase 2, including technical summary of cell irradiation procedure
  • EM: Share the counting software she uses with Marie
    • Done
    • Oxford Optronix, Gelcount
  • MB: Comet analysis
• General Updates
  • Cells have been delivered to Birmingham
    • Looks like nothing on HeLa. FaDu looks more promising
    • Caution required due to dose variation
  • Before next run inform Marie the dates so she can book out the incubator to be used
  • Ideas to improve cell survival rates
    • Swap out HeLa with Glioma cell line (EBW). More robust.
      • Would need to send some to Birmingham
      • Emma to email Rosh about when to take them out the freezer
    • Dry runs indicate that if the cells are only out for 20/25mins then good survival
      • Remove the RCF after irradiation reduces time drastically
    • Cells could be too cold
      • Heating the whole holder could provide enough heat to keep the cells warm for longer
    • Cells could be hypoxic
      • Pre-gas the cells?
    • Keep the holder rotating so that the cells stay wet during irradiation

5. Beamline Diagnostic, KL, TP, CD, PH:

• Actions Checklist
  • EM/ED/LJ: Send calibration films to SCAPA and scan them in both orientations
    • Delivered
  • AFr, DA: Write out RCF procedure document
    • DONE
  • CD, TP: Evaluate LET in the cells with the RCF in front
  • CD: Use sim to answer how many protons per shot in each fibre
    • DONE
• Protons per Fibre - CD
  • Slides
  • Estimating that the beam delivers 0.2mJ per shot per fibre, which works to 200W
  • Oversaturation problem?
• Overview of RCF document
  • Doc
• General Updates
  • CD, RW and AFr to discuss the best way to scan RCF

6. DoNM

• 19th Feb 14:00

7. AoB

• Prepare a summary for LhARA fortnightly on the day of the meeting

Summary of actions required

Phase 2 Analysis

• EM: Evaluate the cell results
• CD, AFr: Complete analysis of RCF with errors
• EM/ED/LJ: Send calibration films to SCAPA and scan them in both orientations
  • CD, RW and AFr: Explain scanning procedure
• EM, JMcG: Write up summary of PoPLaR Phase 2, including technical summary of cell irradiation procedure
• MB: Comet analysis
• CD: Invite Liverpool, Chris Armstrong and LMU to join the in-person meeting

Beam Diagnostics

• Unassigned: Find all the errors associated with RCF
• RW, CD: Study correlation between laser diagnostics and mean dose
• CD, TP: Evaluate LET in the cells with the RCF in front

Improve Bio results

• EM: Inform Roshine when to defrost Glioma cell line
• Unassigned: Obtain an inverted microscope

Long-term

• CD, JMcG: Investigate how to achieve uniformity without a scatterer in place
• KL, CW: Cost 4 or 6 quad, and chicane systems

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