Radiation Damage in Biomolecular SystemsDr. Rita Plukiene, Bytautė Remeikytė
website: http://www.fi.lt/directions/radbio.htm
Research interests The radiation induced damage in biomolecular system is the recent activity of Institute of Physics (http://www.fi.lt/) in Lithuania developed together with Vilnius University Faculty of Natural Sciences (http://www.vu.lt/english/menu/depar/natur.htm) within the COST Action P9 - European cooperation in the field of scientific and technical research. Investigation of ionizing radiation (a b, g, X-ray, UV irradiation) effect on biological objects behaviour is previewed by irradiating it in Nuclear and Environmental Radioactivity Research laboratory. The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae as biological object has been selected for the research. Yeast is very convenient because of the growth speed and fast reproduction cycle. One can affect the population of yeast by changing their environmental conditions (physical and chemical parameters) and observe the response of object - mutation or adaptation in a short period. For detailed calculation of the deposited ionizing radiation dose in the sample (cell and its surroundings), the available simulation codes are used. By using these codes one can create a model of ionizing source and sample and in such manner the exact radiation doses rate received by the yeast (nucleus and cytoplasm) during the irradiation time can be obtained. These calculations and the observation of the radiation induced perturbation of normal physiological processes, along with the biological system responses, will help to understand the damage level: free radicals production, breakup of chemical bonds, new chemical bonds production or damage molecules that regulate vital cell processes. Recent publications
COST P9 Workings group(s) of interest: WG3 |