Participating countries and international organizations:
Armenia, Belarus, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Italy, Mongolia, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Vietnam. 

Issues addressed and main goals of research:
Theoretical and experimental research on the biological effect of heavy charged particles with different energies at JINR's basic facilities.
    The research and development will include:

• Research on the regularities and mechanisms of molecular damage induction and repair in the DNA structure in mammalian and human cells for radiations with different linear energy transfer (LET) in vivo and in vitro. 
  
  
• Obtaining comparative data on the regularities in the induction of gene and structural mutations in mammalian and lower eukaryote cells under exposure to sparsely and densely ionizing radiations with different LET. 
  
  
• Research on the mechanisms of the heavy charged particle (HCP)-induced damage of the eye retina and its repair. 
  
  
• Research on the character of the damage of central nervous system (CNS) cells and regularities of their death. Identification of the HCP-induced functional and morphological disorders in the CNS. 
  
  
• Mathematical modeling of the effects of ionizing radiations with different LET at the molecular and cellular levels. Development and analysis of mathematical models of the molecular mechanisms of ionizing radiation-induced disorders in the CNS structure and functions. 
  
  
• Calculation of shielding for new nuclear physics facilities, evaluation of the radiation environment, and development of radiation safety systems.

Expected major results in the current year:

• To continue studying regularities in the induction, formation, repair kinetics, and structure of HCP-induced clustered DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) in human skin fibroblasts. 
  
  
• To evaluate the proportion of different clustered DNA DSB repair pathways in human fibroblasts after exposure to radiations of different quality - by immunocytochemical staining of the repair proteins RAD51 (HR); Ku70 and DNA PKcs (NHEJ). 
  
  
• To study the influence of DNA synthesis inhibitors on the formation and structure of clustered DNA damage. 
  
  
• To study regularities in DNA DSB formation and elimination in rodent brain neurons after exposure in vivo and in vitro using a primary hippocampal culture from P0-P1 age rats. 
  
  
• Using a Synergy H1m microplate reader, to evaluate the level of the reactive oxygen species and reactive nitrogen species protein kinase in mammalian SIM-A9 microglial cells exposed to gamma rays and HCP. 
  
  
• To study the action of gamma rays, protons, and HCP on peripheral human blood lymphocytes using multicolor FISH. 
  
  
• To continue studying regularities in the induction of gene and structural mutations in yeast cells by radiations with different LET.
  
  
• To evaluate chromosome aberration yield in mammalian cells at long times after exposure to ionizing radiations with different LET. To compare the results of a molecular and cytogenetic analysis of HPRT-mutant subclones. 
  
  
• To continue studying the mechanisms behind the damage and recovery of retinal cell elements after radiation exposure. To monitor the changes in the composition of bis-retinoids in the retina and retinal pigment epithelium of the mouse eye after exposure to densely ionizing radiation. 
  
  
• To perform a study of the modification of small laboratory animals' complex behavioral reactions after HCP exposure. To identify the specifics of the disorders of the brain cell structures and evaluate the possibility of reducing such disorders by different pharmacological agents after exposure. 
  
  
• To continue the development of mathematical models of the induction and repair of the key types of DNA damage after HCP exposure. 
  
  
• To continue the computer modeling of the formation of radiation-induced damage in membrane ion channels and synaptic contacts. 
  
  
• To perform mathematical modeling of the development of radiation-induced oxidative stress in neurons. 
  
  
• To model the electrical activity of hippocampal neural networks after radiation injury. 
  
  
• To continue designing, testing and calibration of nuclear planetary science instruments with fast neutron generators at the LRB's test site. 
  
  
• To ensure the conduction of radiobiological experiments at the U-400M cyclotron (the Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions) and the medical beam of the Phasotron (the Laboratory of Nuclear Problems). 
  
  
• To prepare a requirement specification for the design of a radiobiological research beam at the Nuclotron (the Laboratory of High Energy Physics).