Recent progress in molecule modification with heavy ion beam irradiation

The research into heavy ion beam biology started in the 1960s, and so far it has become an important interdisciplinary study. Heavy ion beam is more suitable for molecule modification than other sorts of radiation, for it has many superiorities such as the energy transfer effect and the mass deposition effect. Molecule modification with heavy ion beam irradiation can be applied to developing new medicines and their precursors, genetic engineering, protein engi neering, outer space radiobiology, etc. Retrospect and prospect of the research and development of molecule modifica tion with heavy ion beam irradiation are given.