title: Simulating the Impact of the Natural Radiation Background on Bacterial Systems: Implications for Very Low Radiation Biological Experiments.
abstract: At very low radiation dose rates, the effects of energy depositions in cells by ionizing radiation is best understood stochastically, as ionizing particles deposit energy along tracks separated by distances often much larger than the size of cells. We present a thorough analysis of the stochastic impact of the natural radiative background on cells, focusing our attention on E. coli grown as part of a long term evolution experiment in both underground and surface laboratories. The chance per day that a particle track interacts with a cell in the surface laboratory was found to be 6 × 10-5 day-1, 100 times less than the expected daily mutation rate for E. coli under our experimental conditions. In order for the chance cells are hit to approach the mutation rate, a gamma background dose rate of 20 μGy hr-1 is predicted to be required.
authors.affiliation: Clermont Université, Université Blaise Pascal, CNRS/IN2P3, Laboratoire de Physique Corpusculaire, BP 10448, F-63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France.
authors.forename: Nathanael
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Lampe
authors.affiliation: Clermont Université, Université Blaise Pascal, Laboratoire Microorganismes Génome et Environnement, UMR CNRS 6023, BP 10448, F-63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France.
authors.forename: David G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Biron
authors.affiliation: School of Mathematics and Physics, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Jeremy M C
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.affiliation: Université de Bordeaux, CENBG, UMR 5797, F-33170 Gradignan, France.|CNRS, IN2P3, CENBG, UMR 5797, F-33170 Gradignan, France.
authors.forename: Sébastien
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Incerti
authors.affiliation: Clermont Université, Université Blaise Pascal, CNRS/IN2P3, Laboratoire de Physique Corpusculaire, BP 10448, F-63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France.
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Marin
authors.affiliation: Clermont Université, Université Blaise Pascal, CNRS/IN2P3, Laboratoire de Physique Corpusculaire, BP 10448, F-63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France.
authors.forename: Lydia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Maigne
authors.affiliation: Clermont Université, Université Blaise Pascal, CNRS/IN2P3, Laboratoire de Physique Corpusculaire, BP 10448, F-63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sarramia
authors.affiliation: Université de Bordeaux, CENBG, UMR 5797, F-33170 Gradignan, France.|CNRS, IN2P3, CENBG, UMR 5797, F-33170 Gradignan, France.
authors.forename: Hervé
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Seznec
authors.affiliation: Clermont Université, Université Blaise Pascal, CNRS/IN2P3, Laboratoire de Physique Corpusculaire, BP 10448, F-63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France.
authors.forename: Vincent
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Breton
mesh_terms: D001417:Background Radiation; D003198:Computer Simulation; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D004583:Electrons; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000528:radiation effects*; D016013:Likelihood Functions; D011839:Radiation, Ionizing