LhARA radiobiology; meeting: 16Apr26; 14:00 GMT

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

Meeting Agenda

1. BioPrep
   • No Major Updates
   • Need to deal with cell survival problem
   • Emma might have a new timing to show max cell survival time
   • Calvin to put together a list of suggestions to improve cell survival

2. SCAPA Beamline
   • No major update
   • A few things have been removed from the beamline
   • Robbie plans on sending out some things to Josie and I

3. In-Beam Diagnostic
   • Scifi to be tested next Wednesday 22nd
   • Tony has a physical camera for his diagnostics
   • Robbie has been talking with a company called Advacam which do detectors for LET
     • Would have to be placed instead of the cells
     • May have a minimum of 15MeV
     • Cost is between 8,700 and 12,100 euros without VAT
     • Peter has used these at QMUL
   • Delaminated EBT3 RCF can no longer be ordered
     • Mark still has some sheets if necessary

4. Improving the Beamline
   • CD: LET plots for different energies
     • [raw-attachment:
     • Minimum Energy required to reach the cells is 3MeV with 10um Cu scatterer and 2.5MeV without the scatterer
     • The minimum energy to aim for should be 7MeV
     • Hard limit to avoid protons with an energy less than 5MeV. With a scatterer in place, this should be more like 5.5MeV
     • Therefore, the limits of the energy distribution, if described as a Gaussian, should be centred on 7MeV with a maximum standard deviation of 0.7MeV
     • Based on pre-cells, 4MeV is the hard cut-off for protons before entering cells.

5. Collaboration Meeting
   • Who can attend?
   • Presentations
   • ​https://indico.stfc.ac.uk/event/1783/

Presentation should also include the next steps for making a publication

Think through the programme we should be executing from October and a couple of years and include ELIMED, including development of SCAPA

Reference data and how we can collect that Do we want to compare with electrons Marie has an interest in this as well Why compare with electrons X-rays are a transport for electrons Compare with VHEE electrons where LETs is less than X-rays What is the specific question that is being addressed Bio results usually have 10% error

Robbie not avilable and Ben is also gone. Discuss talks to be done

6. IPAC Contribution
   • 3/4 of a page on the beamline and results
   • Overlap with laser-driven source

5. DoNM
   • 14/05/26

6. AoB

ELIMED proposal Discussion needed to help answer ELIMED's questions One of them was that no clear distinction from LhARA Reliant on their faciliteis. Is there a facility nearby we can use? Hold a meeting to discuss ELIMED's questions and how to answer them Robbie might know someone local

Could take bio to the building Portable incubators Take a centrifuge Portable flow hood

Also if we do DNA damage response

Deadline is 22nd April

​https://up.eli-laser.eu/call/8th-call-for-users-5pk2js

​https://up.eli-laser.eu/instrument/elimaia-AyTTqw

Emma is the corrindator for this

Summary of actions required

In-Beam Diagnostics

• RW, CD: Study correlation between laser diagnostics and mean dose
• CD, TP: Refine evaluations of LET in the cells with the RCF in front
• CD: Predict the cell dish dose from the RCF in front of it
• Initial measurements of sci-fi arrays
• Provide plan for Master's students who will count photons from UV source for sci-fi arrays
• PH: Investigate how to get the light out of the vacuum chamber
• Unassigned: Investigate how a phosphor sheet could be incorporated into the design of the cell dish
• Unassigned: Acquire a glass sheet

Bio Next Steps

• EM: Write up technical summary of Phase 2
• EM: Write up a future biology plan
  • Decide whether to use Marie's lab and whether to stick with HeLa
• EM, MB, JP, RA: Meet to finalise details
• CD: Gather ideas for improving cell survival
• Unassigned: Obtain an inverted microscope
• Unassigned: Obtain multi-chamber haemocytometers (Might be able to use Birmingham's)
• Unassigned: Run controls to examine how long the cells can survive vertically

Improve the spatial variation

• Decide the energy we should be optimising for
  • RW: Examine energy spectra variation
  • Find LET for different energies in the cell dish

Other Beamlines

• JMcG: Simulate BELLA
• JMcG: Talk to ELI people and simulate ELI
• Build a bid towards ELI

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