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

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

Attended: AFr, RW, JMcG, KL, CW, MH, TP, PH, CD, EM, JP

Meeting Notes

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
     • Slides
     • 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
   • Neither Robbie nor Ben will be there
   • Presentations
     • Obvious one is the results from Phase 2
       • This should include the next steps for making a publication
     • Subsequent presentation should also include a programme looking forward from October to a couple of years.
       • Include ELIMED
       • Include how to collect reference data
       • Include comparison with electrons?
         • Need to be clear as to the question this answers, if we do include it in the plan
   • ​https://indico.stfc.ac.uk/event/1783/

6. IPAC Contribution
   • 3/4 of a page on the beamline and results
   • Robbie has said he will write a first draft since he has a paper coming out as well

6. DoNM
   • 14/05/26

7. AoB
   • ELIMED proposal
     • Emma is the coordinator for this
     • Deadline 22nd April
     • Discussion needed to deal with their problems with the application
     • Solution to bio-facilities:
       • Nearby facility to use?
         • Robbie might know someone
       • Portable bio kit
       • Do DNA damage rather than clonogenics as it's less time intensive on their kit
     • ​https://up.eli-laser.eu/call/8th-call-for-users-5pk2js
     • ​https://up.eli-laser.eu/instrument/elimaia-AyTTqw

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
  • CD: Find LET for different energies in the cell dish
    • DONE

Other Beamlines

• JMcG: Simulate BELLA
• JMcG: Talk to ELI people and simulate ELI
• EM: Coordinate ELIMED bid

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