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Development of an Electron Microbeam for Cell Culture Studies. T. W. Botting, L. A. Braby, and J. R. Ford Texas A&M University. Overview. Background Construction Operation Current Experiments Future. Objective.
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Development of an Electron Microbeam for Cell Culture Studies T. W. Botting, L. A. Braby, and J. R. Ford Texas A&M University
Overview • Background • Construction • Operation • Current Experiments • Future
Objective Our main objective is to achieve a better understanding of the risk to human health due to everyday exposure to low doses of ionizing radiation.
Most occupational and public radiation exposures are due to x and g rays so concern is about the effects of small numbers of moderate energy electrons (10 to 1000 keV)
How do we study this directly? • Need source for low-to-moderate energy electrons • Need method to deliver them exactly where desired • We have used an electron microbeam to try to quantify bystander effects produced by moderate energy electrons
mbeam delivery of electron dose • Targeting • irradiation paths • discrete locations • Dose • duration • intensity • Energy
Electron Beam Production • Electron source • low-power tungsten filament • low voltage power supply • isolation transformer • Accelerator Tube • custom-made 3-section ceramic • equipotential rings • high voltage power supply
Beam Delivery • Collimator Assembly • capillary tube • swivel mounts for alignment • Cell dish stage • x-y motion control • Microscope and camera • targeting
Electron Microbeam Apparatus Less than 4 feet high Capillary-style collimator Accelerator tube up to 100,000 Volts to produce up to 100keV electrons
Source and Accelerator \ Faraday Cup control Turbo pump - Equipotential rings / - Accelerator tube Voltage dividers - - Source
Collimator Stand and Microscope CCD camera - Light Source / - Stage X-Y motion control | \ Capillary Collimator
Final Construction Details • Voltage dividers • 30 MW per tube section for smooth gradient • Exit collimation • 5mm and 300mm exit aperatures • Exit window • 2mm thick mylar (same as cell dishes)
Operation • Electron source • provides electron beam up to 1 nanoamp on the Faraday cup • Stable at up to 85 kV so far • beams at up to 90kV • Software control of targeting • line traces • discrete spots
Desired Improvements • Beam stability • Beam current • Beam transmission
Bystander Effect Experiments • Irradiate nearly confluent cells • CDKN1A and PCNA versus distance • AG 1522 human fibroblasts • Clone 9 rat liver line • RIE mouse intestine line • HBEC human primary bronchial cells • Micronuclei assay • AG 1522 human fibroblasts
Some Future Directions… • Further micronuclei assays • Clone 9 rat liver line • RIE mouse intestine line • HBEC human primary bronchial cells • NTEC Rat primary tracheal cells • All three methods (CDKN1A, PCNA, micronuclei) • Complete comparison matrix with our positive ion mbeam results as a control