Realising the European Network in Biological Dosimetry (RENEB)

Creating a sustainable network in biological dosimetry that involves a large number of experienced laboratories throughout the EU will significantly improve the accident and emergency response capabilities in case of a large-scale radiological emergency. The well-organized cooperated action involving EU laboratories has offered the chance for a fast and reliable dose assessment urgently needed in such an emergency situation. The goal of the RENEB project was to establish a sustainable European network in biological dosimetry involving 23 organisations from 16 countries, identified by the TENEB survey, to guarantee highest efficiency in processing and scoring of biological samples for fast and reliable results implemented in the EU emergency management.

This goal has been achieved through 5 tasks

• To create an operational basis of the network, based on coordination of the existing reliable and proven methods in biological dosimetry.
• To provide the basis to expand and improve the network implementing appropriate new, molecular biology methods and integrating new partners.
• To assure high quality standards by education and training activities of members and interested non-members. Here, special focus will be placed on quality assurance and management (QA&QM) regarding the performed assays and involved laboratories.
• To develop an operational structure of the network including contacts to national first responders, a well organised trans-national infrastructure, e.g. to facilitate cross-border transport of human biological samples, a long term funding strategy and to prepare an agenda to transform RENEB into a legal organisation.
• To guarantee dissemination of knowledge by providing access to internal and external communication platforms and databases and close cooperation with national and global emergency preparedness systems and organisations.

All of these activities have been strictly complementary to on-going projects in the EU Security Research Programme, specifically to MULTIBIODOSE and to WG 10 of the EURADOS platform. RENEB is able to provide a mechanism of quick, efficient and reliable support within the European emergency management and will, in the long run, contribute to increased safety in the field of radiation protection.

Within the scope of the project numerous scientific papers were published, among others a special issue of the journal "International Journal of Radiation Biology": Special issue: Networking in biological and EPR/OSL dosimetry: the European RENEB platform for emergency preparedness and research comprising 16 scientific papers and concluding remarks of the scientific advisors.

Beginning of 2016, the RENEB network was based on a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between 26 organisations from 16 European countries.

You will find additional information at http://www.reneb.net.

To make RENEB capable of acting as an independent organisation, the Association RENEB e.V. was inaugurated in May 2017.

Partners of the Association are

• BfS Bundesamt für Strahlenschutz, Germany
• BIR Bundeswehr Institut für Radiobiologie, Germany
• PHE Public Health England, United Kingdom
• IRSN Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire, France
• NCRRP National Center for Radiobiology and Radiation Protection, Bulgaria
• SERMAS Madrileno de Salud – Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Maranon, Spain
• CRPR-SU Centre for Radiation Protection Research, Stockholm University, Sweden
• UAB Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Spain
• UGent Universiteit Gent, Belgium
• INFN Laboratori Nazionali Di Legnaro, Italy

Topics of the previous project are addressed in working groups of the Association:

• Mission Statement & Strategic Alignment
• Operational Basis
• Quality Assurance & Management
• Infrastructure
• Cooperations & Collaboration
• Dissemination