M. Steiner
The EU project COMET (Coordination and Implementation of a Pan-Eu-ropean Instrument for Radioecology, www.comet-radioecology.org)
started in June 2013. The project is coordinated by the Belgian Nuclear Research Centre (SCK•CEN). The COMET consortium has 13 partners from 10 European countries and Japan.
Objective
COMET will build upon and complement the foundations laid by the European Radioecology Alliance and the ongoing Network of Excellence STAR (Strategy for Allied Radioecology). The overall objective of this project is to strengthen the pan-European research initiative in radioecology. This will be achieved by meeting the following specific objectives:
• Develop innovative mechanisms for joint programming and implementation (JPI) for radioecological research.
• Initiate highly innovative research on the key needs jointly identified by the radioecology community and the (post) emergency management (NERIS, www.eu-neris.net), low-dose research (MELODI,
www.melodi-online.eu) and dosimetry communities (EURADOS).
• Under an enlarged consortium and facilitated by the flex funds further conduct priority research identified following the joint programming mechanisms developed under COMET.
• Develop strong mechanisms for knowledge exchange and dissemination to enhance and maintain Euro-pean capacity, competence and skills in radioecology.
By collaborating with the European platforms on nuclear and radiological emergency response and low-dose risk research, COMET will significantly aid preparation for the implementation of the Horizon 2020 umbrella structure for radiation protection. In close association with STAR and the European Radioecology Alliance, COMET will take forward the development of a Strategic Research Agenda as the basis for developing inno-vative mechanisms for joint programming and implementation of radioecological research.
Impact on the work of BfS
The major benefits for BfS that are expected to arise from participating in COMET can be summarised as fol-lows:
• COMET allows BfS to directly influence the international long-term research strategy in radioecology.
• COMET strengthens the link of radioecology to other areas of radiation protection such as radiation risks of low doses and emergency preparedness.
• COMET will develop strong mechanisms for knowledge exchange, dissemination and training to enhance and maintain European capacity, competence and skills in radioecology.
INTERNATIONAL AGENCY FOR RESEARCH ON CANCER - FRANCE ASSOCIATION MELODI - FRANCE
SÄTEILYTURVAKESKUS - FINLAND
BUNDESAMT FÜR STRAHLENSCHUTZ - GERMANY
RESEARCH CINTER FOR RADIATION MEDICINE, ACADEMY OF MEDICAL SCIENC3S OF UKRAINE - UKRAINE
THE REPUBLICAN RESEARCH CENTRE FOR RADIATION MEDICINE AND HUMAN ECOLOGY, GOMEL - BELARUS
FEDERAL STATE INSTITUTION MEDICAL RADIOLOGICAL RESEARCH CENTER OF THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION - RUSSIAN FEDERATION
NATIONAL CANCER INSTIUTUTE - USA
CO-CHER Partners
COMET provides the opportunity to develop and validate advanced radioecological models in an efficient way by pooling efforts and sharing data and resources.
DoReMi-NoE - Low Dose research towards Multidisciplinary Integration
U. Kulka
Objective
DoReMi (Low Dose research towards Multidisciplinary Integration) (www.dore-mi-noe.net) is a network of excellence, funded within FP7 of EURATOM. The project was launched in January 2010 with 12 original partners including the BfS and a run time of six years. Due to competitive calls within DoReMi the consortium has now a total of 32 partners.
The aim of DoReMi is to promote the sustainable integration of low dose risk research in Europe in order to address the key policy questions identified by the High Level Expert Group (HLEG) on low dose risk research (www.hleg.de). Chairman of HLEG was Wolfgang Weiss, the former head of BfS department Radiation and Health (SG). The open questions address 1) the shape of the dose response curve for cancer, 2) the individual radiation sensitivity for cancer, and 3) the risk for non-cancer effects. Additional to these scientific topics, the NoE focuses on the recording of radiation-related infrastructure in Europe and education and training activities for future radiation scientists.
DoReMi also provides an operational tool for the further development of the MELODI platform (Multidiscipli-nary European Low Dose Initiative) (www.melodi-online.eu), and thus influences the research programmes in low dose risk research on European and national level.
BfS and BMU have a special interest in a long-term, interdisciplinary and integrative research strategy. This will be the best approach to clarify existing uncertainties in the risk assessment of low dose radiation exposure.
STUDIECENTRUM VOOR KERNENERGIE - BELGIUM
NATURAL ENVIRONMENT RESEARCH COUNCIL - UNITED KINGDOM BUNDESAMT FUER STRAHLENSCHUTZ - GERMANY
GLOWNY INSTYTUT GORNICTWA ÜPÖÖAMD - POLAND SATSTOCKHOLMS UNIVERSITETEILYTURVAKESKUS - FINLAND NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF LIFE AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES OF UKRAINE - UKRAINE
CENTRO DE INVESTIGACIONES ENERGETICAS, MEDIOAMBIENTALES Y TECNOLOGICAS-CIEMAT - SPAIN
UNIVERSITETET FOR MILJO OG BIOVITENSKAP - NORWAY
INSTITUT DE RADIOPROTECTION ET DE SÛRETÉ NUCLÉAIRE - FRANCE NATIONAL UNIVERSITY CORPORATION FUKUSHIMA UNIVERSITY - JAPAN NORWEGIAN RADIATION PROTECTION AUTHORITY - NORWAY
STATE SCIENTIFIC AND RESEARCH INSTITUTION CHERNOBYL CENTER FOR NUCLEAR SAFETY RADIOACTIVE WASTE AND RADIOECOLOGY
- UKRAINE
COMET Partners
Results
BfS contributed to all work packages (WP) of DoReMi except for WP1 “network coordination”. Contributions came from the department „Radiation Protection and Health“.
BfS contribution to the three scientific work packages WP5, WP6, and WP7:
In WP5 “shape of the dose response curve for cancer” BfS took part in Task 5.1 Phase – shifts in respons-es and procrespons-essrespons-es at high/low dosrespons-es and dose ratrespons-es. Alterations in the profile of the proteome of primary hu-man fibroblast cells after low-dose gamma irradiation at different doses and dose rates were explored and sin-gle proteins involved in these biological responses were identified. The results were presented as posters and oral presentations at several European meetings (e.g. 2nd proteomics workshop, Munich 2013). A paper sum-marising the results was submitted. Additional funding for consumables was achieved from the DoReMi flex-ibility fund to further investigate stem cells.
In Task 5.5 the cross-cutting molecular epidemiological group of the BfS participates in the discussions on the possibility of multidisciplinary approaches to assessing risk from internal exposures. This was possible be-cause BfS participated in the review of cohorts (within WP4) and in the think tank meeting of WP 6.1. Results were published.
In WP6 “individual radiation sensitivity” BfS took part in Task 6.1 Molecular epidemiological studies to ad-dress the role of individual genetic variation in determining susceptibility to low doses. BfS took part in a meet-ing of epidemiologists and biologists held in November 2010 to discuss how mechanistic research could be better integrated with epidemiology in molecular epidemiological studies. A report on the meeting was deliv-ered and a review paper on biomarkers and bioassays for molecular radiation epidemiology was published.
In WP7 “non-cancer effects” BfS is leader of Task 7.2 – Preparation of a pilot study to conduct molecular epidemiology studies in vascular radiation damage. A meeting was held in Munich in October 2011 at the BfS with the specific objectives to determine strategies to conduct molecular epidemiology studies in vascular damage and to finalise recommendations for internal/external DoReMi calls. A meeting report was published on the public DoReMi website and a publication is under consideration.
BfS contributed to Task 7.4 – Pilot epidemiological study of lens opacities among a cohort of interventional radiologists and cardiologists. BfS participated in 3 meetings, one was organised by the BfS. A report on es-sential aspects of an epidemiological study protocol and the questionnaire on risk factors were written under the aegis of the BfS.
BfS contribution to the work packages WP 2, WP3, and WP4:
WP2 “structuring MELODI” is divided into a Research and Technological Development (RTD) part and a dissemination part.
In Task 2.2 (RTD) “Establishing and updating the Transition Research Agenda and Joint Programme of Re-search” BfS took part in identifying priority research needs and assisted in the further development of the tran-sitional research agenda (TRA). The TRA and a TRA statement is available on the DoReMi website.
BfS take care of Task 2.3.2 “to maintain and to update the public MELODI website”. The public MELODI web-site was maintained and updated on a regular basis. This included the easy access to MELODI documents and related information that are open to the public, the announcement of upcoming MELODI-workshops, ac-cess to the MELODI-workshop presentations, acac-cess to the updated draft of the Strategie Research Agenda, and information about DoReMi, e.g. E&T courses. A members log-in was installed on the public homepage, so registered members can directly connect to the internal MELODI website operated by SCK-CEN.
In WP3 “education and training” BfS contributed to Task 3.5 Funding training activities.
BfS took part in all internal DoReMi calls for education and training activities. Thus, between 2011 and 2013 three 2 week training courses (Interdisciplinary Radiation Research) for 3x12 participants were developed, or-ganised and evaluated at the BfS. There was no course fee and accommodation was free for all participants.
The courses were intended to promote and stimulate interdisciplinary cooperation by introducing the basic principles in radiation physics, biology and epidemiology. All courses were fully booked. The last course had been overbooked already 3 months before start. An application for a 4th course was submitted in 2013. The course was advertised via poster presentation at relevant congresses and workshops.
In WP4 “infrastructures” large infrastuctures such as irradiation facilities, databases & biobanks, analysis platforms and cohorts are recorded.
The BfS contributed to Task 4.1 Survey of existing facilities for low dose risk research. BfS contributed to the review of existing epidemiological cohorts and the evaluation of their potential to address key issues in
low-dose radiation research. Detailed questionnaires were prepared and information on study design, dose estimation and existence of, or potential for biological samples on existing and planned radiation epidemio-logical cohorts in Europe were collected. A critical review included 59 cohorts of persons with occupational, environmental and medical exposure to ionising radiation and key cohorts to answer the key policy questions were identified. A manuscript is under preparation by the cross-cutting epidemiology group detailing the dif-ferent cohorts and their potential use to address specific research questions in WP5, 6 and 7 via a molecular epidemiological approach.
BfS is task leader of Task 4.8 Integrating STORE into DoReMi. BfS was coordinator of the EU Project STORE.
A memorandum of understanding was signed between DoReMi and STORE and a new task (4.8) was funded by the DoReMi flexibility fund to integrate STORE into DoReMi as a trustable and viable database and/or pointer to biobanks and ascertain sustainability.
Implementation of the results
DoReMi RTD projects address open questions in radiation research. The results obtained by DoReMi and the efforts to maintain research infrastructure and expert knowledge are highly relevant for the risk assessment of ionising radiation and thus will have sustainable impact on radiation protection on European as well as on national level.
The BfS has an interest to address and clarify open questions in radiation research including radiation biology and epidemiology topics. Of ultimate concern is the protection of the general population, patients and job hold-ers against ionising radiation. The better undhold-erstanding of low dose effects in individuals and the population will directly influence radiation protection concepts and regulatory statutes.
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SATEILYTURVAKESKUS - FINLAND
COMMISSARIAT A L' ENERGIE ATOMIQUE - FRANCE ISTITUTO SUPERIORE DI SANITA - ITALY
INSTITUT CURIE - FRANCE
OXFORD BROOKES UNIVERSITY - UNITED KINGDOM DUBLIN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY - IRELAND UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI PAVIA - ITALY
LUDWIG-MAXIMILIANS-UNIVERSITAET MUENCHEN - GERMANY BRUNEL UNIVERSITY - UNITED KINGDOM
BUNDESAMT FUER STRAHLENSCHUTZ - GERMANY
STATNI USTAV RADIACNI OCHRANY V.V.I. - CZECH REPUBLIC FUNDACIO CENTRE DE RECERCA EN EPIDEMIOLOGIA
AMBIENTAL - CREAL - SPAIN ERASMUS UNIVERSITAIR MEDISCH
CENTRUM ROTTERDAM - THE NETHERLANDS STOCKHOLMS UNIVERSITET - SWEDEN
HEALTH PROTECTION AGENCY HPA - UNITED KINGDOM INSTITUTE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES KOUEKI ZAIDAN HOUJIN - JAPAN
JOHANN WOLFGANG GOETHE UNIVERSITAET FRANKFURT AM MAIN - GERMANY
UNIVERSITAETSKLINIKUM ERLANGEN - GERMANY NUVIA LIMITED - UNITED KINGDOM
UNIVERSITAET DES SAARLANDES - GERMANY HELMHOLTZ ZENTRUM MUENCHEN
DEUTSCHES FORSCHUNGSZENTRUM
FUER GESUNDHEIT UND UMWELT GMBH - GERMANY AWE PLC - UNITED KINGDOM
STUDIECENTRUM VOOR KERNENERGIE - BELGIUM UNIVERSITETET FOR MILJO OG BIOVITENSKAP - NORWAY ORSZAGOS FREDERIC JOLIOT-CURIE SUGARBIOLOGIAI ES SUGAREGESZSEGUGYI KUTATO INTEZET - HUNGARY NORWEGIAN RADIATION PROTECTION AUTHORITY - NORWAY NASJONALT FOLKEHELSEINSTITUTT - NORWAY
UNIVERSITAET ROSTOCK - GERMANY
ACADEMISCH ZIEKENHUIS LEIDEN - LEIDS UNIVERSITAIR MEDISCH CENTRUM - THE NETHERLANDS
INSTITUT DE RADIOPROTECTION ET DE SÛRETÉ NUCLÉAIRE - FRANCE AGENZIA NAZIONALE PER LE NUOVE TECNOLOGIE,L'ENERGIA E LO SVILUPPO ECONOMICO SOSTENIBILE - ITALY
UNIVERSITAET DER BUNDESWEHR MUENCHEN - GERMANY SATEILYTURVAKESKUS - FINLAND
DoReMi Partners