Inter-Individual variability of radiation-sensibility

The course will present the current knowledge on cellular and molecular responses to radiation exposure and how this can be exploited to identify biomarkers for use in molecular epidemiology studies.

During the first week, we will review the molecular consequences of low dose and dose rate exposures to ionising radiation from the generation of oxidative stress and damage at the macromolecular level to long term consequences such as  increased cancer risk, with the over-arching theme of individual susceptibility. How mechanistic knowledge can be integrated into molecular epidemiological studies and used to assess individual variation in susceptibility will be presented. In the second week students will participate in laboratory sessions on DNA/RNA extraction and genotyping techniques, the quantification of DNA and protein adducts, DNA repair activity and cell senescence using Fluorescent Activated Cell Sorting (FACS) and immunofluorescence.