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JINR Science and Technology Council:
development of the JINR Programme on radiation biology

On 2 June, a meeting of the JINR Science and Technology Council was held in the JINR International Conference Centre. The key topic of discussion was the scientific programme of the Institute's research on radiation biology that is carried out by LRB, three sectors of DLNP and the users of the ARIADNA collaboration at the NICA Accelerator Complex.

The report of JINR Director covered the main events in the field of international cooperation of the Joint Institute, construction of large scientific infrastructure and social facilities. The awarding of honorary titles and presenting awards to 16 JINR staff members was held.

JINR Director, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Grigory Trubnikov presented the information of JINR Directorate.

On 30 May, elections to the RAS were held at the General Meeting of Members of the Russian Academy of Sciences that included the election of two candidates from JINR: Vice-Director Vladimir Kekelidze became an Academician of the RAS and Vice-Director Sergey Dmitriev became a Corresponding Member of the RAS. "JINR is currently one of the most widely developing organizations where worldwide science is done. This is indeed a very high recognition of the authority of our Institute," Grigory Trubnikov highlighted.

At the NICA accelerator complex in VBLHEP, the schedule for beam injection into the collider has been pushed back by a month (August-September) due to the discovery of several vacuum leaks in the collider beam volume. To date, four out of six large leaks have been eliminated. Cooling of the Nuclotron has started and testing of the western half-ring of the collider will start soon. The eastern half-ring will also be prepared for the beginning of vacuum and later, of cryogenic tests by mid-June.

Experiments are underway at FLNR to study the chemical and physical properties of phlerovium. The construction of the experimental building of the U-400P cyclotron is on schedule.

In April, within the framework of the Baikal-GVD collaboration, the DLNP staff successfully completed another expedition to build a neutrino telescope, despite the short ice season. Documents were signed for the arrangement of a land plot for the construction of a new expedition camp, the construction of which will start this year.

The IBR-2 reactor started up in FLNP after a long shutdown and test sessions were successfully implemented. Taking into account the interests of the Member States, a programme of users will be developed, with the start of sessions scheduled for 15 October.

MLIT has completed the next stage of modernization of the Multifunctional Information and Computing Complex, the capacity of which increases by 15-20% annually. The volume of data storage and energy efficiency also increase.

The Annual Report on the scientific activity of JINR for 2024, aimed at a wide audience of readers, was published. The second issue of the JINR journal Natural Science Review was published, the third issue is currently prepared. The competition of JINR innovative developments is held, which a large number of applications were submitted for.

Significant events in the field of international cooperation of the Institute have been held. In April, JINR Days in Uzbekistan were held and in mid-June, the JINR Days of the Republic of South Africa will be held. In May, an agreement was signed between JINR and the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation of Brazil. In Belgrade, the JINR delegation took part in the 67th International Fair of Technology and Technological Achievements, where meetings were held with representatives of the Ministry of Science, Technological Development and Innovation of the Republic of Serbia and the Vinca Institute of Nuclear Sciences. The JINR delegation held meetings in Japan with the heads of the KEK National Laboratory and the J-PARC proton accelerator complex. Grigory Trubnikov emphasized that the participation of JINR scientists in the T2K and COMET experiments is noticeable and bright.

The FLNP staff held the International Meeting on the Interaction of Neutrons with Nuclei (ISINN-31) in China. In June, the JINR delegation will take part in the meeting of the working group of specialized ministries of the People's Republic of China. In October, a large conference is scheduled to be held in Azerbaijan.

In April, a delegation from the Federal Medical and Biological Agency of Russia with the Head of the Agency Veronika Skvortsova visited Dubna. This year, the construction of the Family Health Centre of the Medical Unit No. 9 on the basis of the former children's polyclinic at 1, Vavilova Street will start. Modernization and equipping of the Medical Unit No. 9 will be carried out next year. A focus group has been established to develop a technological project of the clinical centre of proton therapy in Dubna, the project and technological specifications are scheduled to be developed by the end of 2025.

By the end of the year, the location of JINR - Dubna should protect its status of a science city, the discussion of the strategy of development of Dubna until 2035 is underway, in which representatives of the Institute take an active part.

In June, in Yerevan, the Working Group under the CP Chairman will discuss the improvement of the Institute's salary policy. This year, the average incomes of all categories of the Institute's employees have increased, most of all, in percentage terms, for engineers, workers and specialists. The work on simplification of procurement procedures currently is carried out. DLNP and VBLHEP will be the first to try out the new system.

The repair of the JINR service housing fund is in progress, repairs of the Institute's sports complexes: the Stadium "Nauka", the Sports Club, the Yacht Club and the Resort Hotel "Lipnya" are underway. Preparatory engineering work for the construction of a new residential building in Ratmino has been completed. Within the framework of preparations for the 70th anniversary of the Institute, the Art&Science exhibition space in JINR Conference Centre is currently prepared and the building of the future cultural and historical complex of JINR at 14, Sovetskaya is reconstructed.

In the second part of the STC meeting, the scientific programme of JINR research in radiation biology was presented by the speakers from three JINR laboratories. STC Chairman Elena Kolganova congratulated the staff of the Laboratory of Radiation Biology on the 20th anniversary since the establishment of LRB. "Radiation biology is a very popular scientific area that attracts most of the Member States of our Institute", the STC Chairman highlighted.

LRB Director Aleksander Bugay and Head of the Sector of Molecular Genetics of the Cell of DLNP Elena Kravchenko told about JINR internal experiments in this field. Deputy Head of the Department of Scientific and Methodological Investigations and Innovations on Research of VBLHEP Oleg Belov made a report on the programme of applied biological research of different scientific centres within the ARIADNA collaboration at the NICA Accelerator Complex.

Aleksander Bugay gave a brief excursion into the history of the development of radiobiological research at JINR. In 1959, the first biological experiments were implemented at the synchrocyclotron in JINR. In 1967, sessions of proton therapy of oncological patients were carried out at the synchrocyclotron. In 1978, a sector for biological research was established at the Laboratory of Nuclear Problems and in 1988, it was transformed into a department. In 1995, the Department of Radiation and Radiological Research of JINR was founded. Finally, in 2005, when this field of science began to play an increasingly important role in the Institute's programme, the Laboratory of Radiation Biology was established.

The infrastructure for implementing radiobiological research at JINR is extensive. "The Institute is Eldorado for radiobiologists, where there are practically any kind of radiation sources, electron, proton, neutron, X-ray, beams of accelerated multicharged ions in FLNR and VBLHEP," Aleksander Bugay emphasized. Computer support of experiments is carried out at the MICC JINR. The research infrastructure in LRB is regularly updated that holds the laboratory on a par with the centres of worldwide significance.

Aleksander Bugay outlined the multi-area nature of research implemented by the youngest of the Joint Institute's laboratories. The scientific research areas of the staff cover molecular biology, radiation genetics, radiation cytology, medical radiobiology, neuroradiobiology, mathematical modeling, radiation research and astrobiology. LRB Director spoke in detail about all research areas, basic developments defended by patents and joint R&D with leading specialized Russian centres, such as, on induction and repair of DNA double-strand breaks. Socially important research and testing of radioprotective agents is underway. LRB contributed to the development of the risk concept for manned deep space missions. Development of new principles of radiotherapy using both radioprotective agents and remote techniques, astrobiological research and research in the field of space radiobiology have been among the basic scientific results of the laboratory in recent years.

Elena Kravchenko informed that radiation biology at DLNP is carried out by the staff of three Sectors: Radiation Medicine and Radiobiology, Radiochemistry and Molecular Cell Genetics. Head of the Sector of DLNP presented a detailed report on the scientific research programme on radiation biology and molecular radiation genetics at DLNP. At present, this programme also includes a large number of areas: investigation of techniques to increase the efficiency of radiotherapy, research of radiation damage to the CNS; research of radiopharmaceuticals and their precursors for medical diagnostics and therapy; development of new radioprotectors based on proteins of extremophilic organisms; development of a system of delivery of therapeutic agents into human cells based on exosomes and intracellular delivery based on proteins of extremophilic organisms; research of genes affecting aging; research of genes influencing the aging process.

DLNP Director Evgeny Yakushev emphasized that DLNP and LRB research do not overlap with each other.

Oleg Belov spoke about the programme of radiobiology research at the NICA accelerator complex within the framework of the ARIADNA applied research collaboration. The scientist highlighted that most of the infrastructure for applied research at NICA is dedicated to radiobiology and about half of the scientific centres - participants of the collaboration are interested in meeting issues in the field of life sciences. During the previous session on the complex, the first results of research in the field of radiobiology have already been obtained. The speaker emphasized that work is underway to implement advanced, ambitious tasks that cannot be met by a single organization, where it is necessary to unite the efforts of a number of institutes. Emphasis is on addressing scientific and practical tasks that are in demand in certain industries (space, healthcare, biotechnology, others).

The current ARIADNA programme of radiobiological research provides direct access of collaborating organizations to the infrastructure of the NICA complex, at the same time, JINR gets access to the instrumentation and techniques of collaborating organizations. A centre of competence on the issues of heavy ion radiobiology and related areas is developed around the NICA complex.

The need to narrow the range of scientific topics of radiobiology research at the Institute and to focus on two or three main areas, as well as to implement a broad international expertise of projects is emphasized at the meeting. Various formats for such expertise were discussed, including the possibility of founding an interlaboratory council, a programme advisory committee and the involvement of ARIADNA collaborators.

JINR Chief Scientific Secretary Sergey Nedelko introduced to the STC members the concept of events dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the Institute that will be held in autumn and in 2026. "The main task in holding the anniversary events is to maximally focus on the Institute's investigations among the Member States and new Partner States, as well as to give the staff an opportunity to be proud of the Institute's scientific achievements," Grigory Trubnikov emphasized.

At the STC meeting, 16 employees of the Joint Institute were awarded titles and were presented awards of the Russian Federation, Moscow Region, Dubna City District, as well as departmental diplomas and letters of thanks.

JINR Press Office