Biological effects of laser-accelerated Carbon ion bursts

The use of ion beams in cancer radiotherapy is an emerging approach,
which exploits the advantageous energy deposition properties of ions as
compared to commonly used X-rays. While most existing centres
employ protons, the interest in heavier ion species (e.g. Carbon) is
growing, particularly in relation to a wide class of radioresistant tumours.
The high cost of the facilities required (particularly for Carbon) is a
limiting factor to the growth of ion therapy, and the use of laser accelerated
beams as a future cost-saving alternative is attracting
significant interest worldwide.
Based on emerging laser-driven mechanisms for efficient acceleration
of both protons and heavier ion species, the A-SAIL project aims to
progress laser-based acceleration to therapeutically relevant
parameters. Testing the biological effects of laser-accelerated beams is
a key objective, with particular attention to any novel effect related to the
ultrahigh dose rates (>109 Gy/s) associated to the ion bursts.
Within this framework, the PhD project will aim to develop a platform
enabling the assessment of the radiobiological effectiveness of laser accelerated
carbon ion beams. The production and delivery of Carbon
ions at energies and particle densities suitable for radiobiological
investigations will be pursued in experiments at major high-power laser
facilities in UK and abroad. Employing these beams, the project will test,
with relevant assays in cell and tissue models (including investigations
under hypoxia), the quality and quantity of DNA damage produced by
the laser-driven carbon ions, which will be comparatively assessed
against irradiations employing protons, x-rays and conventional Carbon
bunches from RF accelerators.