Using insect models to investigate whole-body radiation-induced bystander effects between individuals

Radiation-induced bystander effects, where interactions with irradiated cells/organs/individuals cause unirradiated cells/organs/individuals to behave as if they have been irradiated, have been an area of concern since the 90s. This phenomenon has been demonstrated via cell-to-cell communication  and clonogenic assays, but there is a paucity of data regarding inter-organism effects, especially concerning whole-body endpoints. My research aims to bridge the gap between in vivo and in vitro work and explore population-level bystander effects using developmental endpoints, highlighting the importance of understanding bystander effects for environmental radiation protection.