On March 6, 2025, the National Centre for Nuclear Research (NCBJ) in Otwock-Świerk held the workshop „FLASH Beams in Research – Current Studies and Directions of Development”. The event was focused on research conducted using infrastructure developed as part of the project „Construction and validation of a facility generating an ultra-high dose rate electron beam (FLASH-RT)”.

The workshop continued the collaboration initiated within the FLASH project by the Greater Poland Cancer Centre, the Institute of Nuclear Chemistry and Technology, and the National Centre for Nuclear Research. Currently, the partners are focusing on using the newly built infrastructure. This is an excellent opportunity to indicate research trends in understanding and practical application of the FLASH effect. The event became a platform for exchanging the current experience and results of consortium members research they made so far on this infrastructure.

The presented results in the field of biology, physics and medical technologies indicate that the ongoing research has a wide range of potential applications, especially in medicine. Understanding the FLASH effect may accelerate the implementation of ultra-high dose rate techniques in radiotherapy. Studies planned by the consortium members on cell, tissue and animal models should accelerate this process.

The meeting concluded with a discussion on future research, including radiobiology, verification of beam parameter, control of beam generation, and conducting technical and physical experiments. The exchange of knowledge between specialists can contribute to the further development of medical sciences and their practical use in cancer treatment, as well as in other fields of technology and industry.

The newly built infrastructure expands research opportunities to other areas of science, not just medicine, such as materials research or sterilization. The NCBJ ultra-high dose rate electron radiation accelerator enables research on the interaction of intense electron beams with various materials. This opens up new perspectives for many scientific and industrial sectors.