The programmatic goals are to support fundamental radiochemistry and radiation-detector instrument development research aligned with the BER mission specific needs for real-time, high resolution imaging of dynamic biological processes in energy and environmentally-responsive contexts.

Program Description

Program supports fundamental research in radiotracer chemistry, involving particularly improvements in the synthetic methodology for incorporating the radioisotope in a wide range of organic molecules with techniques that result in high specific activities and sufficient protections against auto-radiolysis to ensure the integrity and biological behavior of the intact radiolabeled molecule in vivo. Radionuclide imaging instrumentation research seeks improvements that can significantly increase the accuracy of quantitative assessments of the three dimensional spatial and temporal distribution of radiotracers in living organisms. New improved devices are expected to address many imaging science issues related to limits of resolution in 3D space, background noise, sensitivity, field-of-view, and intensity of the emitted radiation signal, nondestructively in real-time. This research will seek to visualize metabolic networks and regulatory systems underlying cellular differentiation, specialization, and their interactions with the environment in the living organism including plants and microbial communities. Fundamental technologies growing out of this program will be broadly transferable to public and private sector for use in a broad variety of applications including imaging of biological processes in the living organisms such as needed in nuclear medicine research.

Solicitations

The program is now soliciting research applications. Details of the solicitation can be found at Integrated Radiochemistry Research Projects of Excellence, Notice DE-PS02-09ER09-08 -- Posted January 12, 2009.

Preapplications are required and must be submitted by February 16, 2009. Formal applications must be received by April 2, 2009. Information about preparing and submitting applications, as well as the DOE Office of Science merit review Process can be found at the Preapplications are required and must be submitted by February 16, 2009. Formal applications must be received by April 2, 2009. Information about preparing and submitting applications, as well as the DOE Office of Science merit review process can be found at the DOE Office of Science Grants and Contracts Web Site.

Why the Program's Research is Important

For over 60 years, one important focus of BER Radiochemistry, Imaging and Instrumentation, and its predecessor programs, has been to promote research advances in physics, chemistry, material sciences and high speed computing to translate our knowledge of radioactive-decay and its detection into radiotracer imaging technology innovations for use in biomedical research. The radiotracer and radionuclide imaging technologies already developed under this program have been used to solve critical problems in biology and nuclear medicine, and they constitute a large part of the scientific foundations of nuclear medicine today. The focus of the current research is to bring the fruits of nuclear medicine research to bear upon new imaging technologies for addressing biological research problems in plant biology related to biofuel production and in the study of microbial-communities related to bioremediation.

More Information about the Program and Its Accomplishments

DOE Report on New Frontiers of Science in Radiochemistry and Instrumentation for Radionuclide Imaging

Program Accomplishments

Program Publications

Program Manager

Prem Srivastava, Ph.D.
Biological Systems Science Division, SC-23.2
U.S. Department of Energy, GTN Bldg.
1000 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20585-1290
Phone: (301) 903-4071
Fax: (301) 903-0567
Email: prem.srivastava@science.doe.gov