I-Corps: The Use of a Novel Device for Chemical and Toxicological Analysis of Air

University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill NC

Investigators

Abstract

Researchers have developed a new in vitro instrument. The device allows cultured living cells to be exposed to complex air pollution mixtures of gases and particles directly, without pre-collection or conditioning. Previous work has found that conditioning results in underestimation of exposure risk. This device provides faster exposure times, is less expensive, and is more sensitive at lower exposure concentrations. Cells in the device are exposed to a realistic pollution mixture, similar to what a human experiences. This technology has the potential to provide information for gaps in our scientific knowledge concerning the full impact of air pollution on public health. These gaps include the identification of the pollutants responsible for health effects, the synergistic effects of mixtures of multiple pollutants, and how to efficiently and affordably monitor all pollutants in real time. This device fills a "missing technology" that can accurately perform in vitro exposures without errors. It is a multi-use platform that can sample any type of air and expose any type of living cell. It has applications with assessment of the toxicity of any breathable space, testing inhaled therapeutic drugs, cosmetics, product safety, occupational safety, and bioterrorism detection. The initial focus will be on airborne toxins as there is no marketed instrument that fulfills the need for comprehensive in vitro analysis of chemistry and biology.