The extreme light infrastructure (ELI) is emerging as a state-of-the-art facility
providing international users with open access to ultrashort laser-driven particle
bunches, ranging from a few femtoseconds to a few nanoseconds, for advanced radiobiology
studies. ELI offers femtosecond-class laser pulses and ultrafast ionizing radiation
characterized by extremely high instantaneous dose rates (10 7 –10 12 Gy/s). The versatility
of ELI’s cutting-edge technologies enables the generation of high repetition rate
(1 Hz–1 kHz) secondary sources (protons, ions, electrons, and neutrons) with energies
from a few MeV to several hundred MeV, achieved over sub-millimetre to millimetre-scale
acceleration lengths, along with fundamental research in the field of ultrahigh intensity
laser-matter interaction based on the use of the highest peak power laser pulses available
worldwide. Harnessing these laser-driven particle sources for radiobiology and medical
research demands a coordinated international effort, with a strong focus on advancing
scientific instrumentation and refining experimental methodologies to support progress
in ultrafast laser-driven radiation biology. This roadmap underscores the need for
systematically designed experiments across ELI facilities, supported by preparatory
research at users’ home laboratories, alongside the ongoing development of instrumentation
and infrastructure. These efforts are critical to rigorously assess and validate the
therapeutic potential of these novel sources, paving the way for a transformative
shift in radiation biology and medicine.
