Microbeam irradiation facilities for radiobiology in Japan and China

Kobayashi, Yasuhiko; Funayama, Tomoo; Hamada, Nobuyuki*; Sakashita, Tetsuya; Konishi, Teruaki*; Imaseki, Hitoshi*; Yasuda, Keisuke*; Hatashita, Masanori*; Takagi, Keiichi*; Hatori, Satoshi*; Suzuki, Keiji*; Yamauchi, Motohiro*; Yamashita, Shunichi*; Tomita, Masanori*; Maeda, Munetoshi*; Kobayashi, Katsumi*; Usami, Noriko*; Wu, L.*

In order to study the radiobiological effects of low dose radiation, microbeam irradiation facilities have been developed in the world. This type of facilities now becomes an essential tool for studying bystander effects and relating signaling phenomena in cells or tissues. This review introduces you available microbeam facilities in Japan and in China, to promote radiobiology using microbeam probe and to encourage collaborative research between radiobiologists interested in using microbeam in Japan and in China.