DoReMi - Facility for Low Level Irradiation Experiments

Although the adverse effects of high doses of radiation are well extablished, the health impact of chronic low doses is still a matter of scientific debate. The issue is of particular concern to the public, as highlighted by the challenges from the Fukushima accident. Between 2010 and 2015 Low Dose Radiation Research has been the subject of a large EU network: DoReMi, with the participation of more than 50 European partners. In order to carry out experimental research in this area, scientists need access to irradiation facilities. At the start of the DoReMi project, there was no low dose chronic irradiation facility for rodent studies in the EC. NMBUs low dose irradiation facility had been used for ecotoxicological studies on a variety of organisms (e.g., fish, mussels, earthworms) since 2003. Hence the objective of the present project was to upgrade that facility to meet the requirements for small rodent chronic exposure experiments. This involved installation of an improved climate control system (temperature, light, humidity) and acquiring the necessary approval from authorities as an animal research facility, including the use of GMO rodent models. The upgraded facility ?FIGARO? was officially opened in December 2012. Pilot studies have been carried out to establish logistics and protocols and the facility was made available for use by DoReMi partners between 2013 and 2015. Open access to FIGARO has proved popular with European partners, and has attracted leading radiation biologists to collaborate and perform sustainable joint research in Norway. The facility has also played a central role in the NFR funded CERAD Centre of Excellence in Environmental Radioactivity. As a unique European radiation facility, FIGARO is expected to play a major role in future national and EU projects.

This project is part of the FIGARO project submitted by three Norwegian partners (University of Biosciences UMB, Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority NRPA, and Norwegian Institute of Public Health NIPH), to DoReMi, with the intention of providing acce ss to the UMB irradiation facility. The proposal was accepted and all partners accepted by the EC into the network consortium. The project summary refers to UMBs contribution to the Figaro/DoReMi project. The gamma irradiation source at UMB provides a continuous dose rate field from 8 mGy/hr down to 60 uGy/hr, and allows simultaneous, chronic exposure of samples over the whole dose-rate field. The facility was opened in 2004, and has been used for in vivo irradiation of fish, earthworms, plants, rodent s, and cell cultures, for up to three month exposure times. The project will open the facility to DoReMi participants for beam time of 4-6 weeks per year (total 20 weeks over a 4 year period). Since the facility is almost exclusively designed and used fo r ecotoxicological studies, some infrastructure upgrades would be necessary to tailor the facility for chronic exposure of mice and cell cultures. While the facility has been used for experiments on mice, to date these have been short-term exposures. Prim arily the changes would involve the installation of an improved climate control system (temperature, light, humidity), and upgrading of the laboratory facilities in the control room. DoReMi is the largest EU project on radiation protection in the EURATOM 7FP, and gathers the leading European experts in radiation biology. The opportunity to be both part of the consortium, as well as the joint experiments planned within the project will greatly promote networking opportunities both UMB and other Norwegian scientists working in the field. The DoReMi network consists of 7 WPs and UMB will contribute primarily to WP4 (Infrastructures); with additional work in WP2 Research Programme Structuring and WP3 (Education)