NTU Singapore scientists develop technique to observe radiation damage over a quadrillionth of a second

Scientists at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) have developed a technique to observe how radiation damages molecules over time-frames of just one quadrillionth of a second – or a femtosecond.

The technique involves dissolving organic molecules in water to simulate the state molecules that are found in biological tissue. This allows the research team to see radiation damage occur in biological tissue and molecules with greater precision and clarity.

Associate Professor Zhi-Heng Loh, an Assistant Chair at NTU’s School of Physical & Mathematical Sciences who led the research, said, “This is the first time anyone has observed ionisation-induced molecular dynamics in aqueous solutions on femtosecond time scales. In previous studies, scientists were only able to observe the products of ionisation after the molecule had already been broken apart.” 

The research was published in Nature Communications.