RENOIR
Little information is known about the influence of environmental radiation on living matter. In principle, important information can be acquired by analyzing possible differences between parallel biological systems, one kept in the radiation environment at the Earth’s surface and the other one in a low-radiation underground environment.
So far, biology experiments are ongoing or planned in a few underground laboratories around the World. Among them, the largest in vitro data set comes from the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso (LNGS), whose unique features have been exploited to address the effects of reduced background radiations on the homeostasis of different biological systems since the late 90s. In the framework of the COSMIC SILENCE activities, our group has more recently obtained the first in vivo evidence of a differential response below and above ground at the organism level using the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. Overall, the in vitro and in vivo results so far obtained have consistently shown that natural radiation is necessary to trigger biological responses that make biological systems more capable to cope against stress responses.
In this framework, the RENOIR experiment (2020-2022), funded by INFN-CSN5, aims to get more insights on the underlying biophysical mechanisms that triggers the different biological responses observed in external LNGS reference laboratory (Reference Radiation Environment, RRE) respect to the underground LNGS laboratory (Low Radiation Environment, LRE), where the cosmic rays flux is reduced by a factor 106 and the neutrons flux by a factor of 103. To this purpose it is mandatory a continuous improvement in the characterization of radiation spectrum. Furthermore, it is not known whether all the components of the natural radiation field weigh in the same or in different way to trigger the biological responses.
The main aims of the RENOIR experiment are: to improve the knowledge of the radiation field inside the external and the underground laboratories, with dosimetric and spectroscopic measurements and simulations, and to obtain information about the involvement of the different components of the radiation field in the biological responses of fruit flies. The last point will be pursued by modifying the underground as well as the aboveground environments with shielding or with the presence of natural sources to reduce or increase the gamma component of the radiation spectrum.
Websites:
Thesis Opportunities:
Study of the effect of the different components of environmental radioactivity on the absorbed dose with Monte Carlo simulations.
For information, please contact: Claudia Tomei.Local Coordinator
Giuseppe Esposito| Name | Surname | Role | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinzia | De Angelis | Associata | Ricercatrice ISS |
| Valentina | Dini | Associata | Ricercatrice ISS |
| Giuseppe | Esposito | Associato | Ricercatore ISS |
| Cristina | Nuccetelli | Associata | Ricercatrice ISS |
| Maria Antonella | Tabocchini | Associata | Senior |