Two medical professionals in a lab analyze brain scans displayed on multiple computer monitors. One person is seated, typing on a keyboard, while the other stands and gestures towards a screen.

Exposure Testing

The Exposure Testing Shared Resource (ETSR) (developing) leverages the world-renowned expertise and collaborative experiences in conducting studies of chemical carcinogen exposures at the Masonic Cancer Center (MCC) and is directed by Dr. Irina Stepanov. 

The ETSR supports translational research ranging from sampling and chemical analysis of exposure sources and materials, to studies in cells and laboratory animals, to human laboratory and field studies of exposure, to developing and measuring biomarkers of exposure and cancer-related effects in various biological matrices. 

Expand all

Services

The following ETSR services are offered to facilitate the multidisciplinary research requiring assessments of exposures, and of effects caused by such exposures, across biological systems:

  • Sampling, analysis, and development of exposure materials.
  • Design and execution of air-liquid interface in vitro exposure experiments.
  • Design and execution of animal exposure experiments.
  • Design and execution of human exposure studies.
  • Biospecimen collection and analysis resources. 

The ETSR services can be customized to the nature of each project and the level of ETSR staff involvement. 

Instrumentation

  • Borgwaldt LX1 Linear smoking machine-single port (conventional and electronic cigarettes)
  • Borgwaldt LM4 Linear smoking machine- 4-port (conventional and electronic cigarettes)
  • Borgwaldt semi-automatic NGX10 Linear Vaping machine- 10 ports (e-cigarettes and heated tobacco).
  • KORBER SMI-PDV semi-automatic pressure drop testing machine for cigarettes, filter rods, tubes, and cigarillos or cigars.
  • High-accuracy Mini-MOUDI™ Impactor with small-range (respirable) particle characterization
    • 2-L/min sampling flow rate
    • 10 impactor stages with nominal cut-points  at 0.056, 0.10, 0.18, 0.32, 0.56, 1.0, 1.8, 3.2, 5.6, 10 plus a final filter
    • 37-mm diameter semicircular impaction substrates
    • Low pressure drop
  • Environmental Test Chamber for temperature and humidity control
  • Range of smaller equipment for testing physical properties of various environmental samples and products (pH meters, laboratory moisture heating block, high accuracy gravimetric scales)
  • VITROCELL® VC 1 Linear manual smoking machine for chemical analysis and in vitro experiments (conventional and electronic cigarettes). 
    • Direct exposure of mammalian cells or tissue at the air/liquid interface, where the cell systems are not covered with culture medium.
    • Dynamic dilution systems using unique double-jet systems, which allow for a homogeneous mixing of the test aerosol with air.
    • Climatic chamber provides condensation-free operation when using liquid aerosols
  • Scireq inExpose inhalation exposure system for in vivo experiments (conventional and electronic cigarettes, ENDS)
    • Whole body exposure
    • Nose only exposure
  • In partnership with the Tobacco Research Programs, access to negative pressure rooms for human laboratory studies of tobacco and nicotine product use and related exposures. 
  • CReSS Smoking topography device
    • Automatically measures smoking behavior parameters or characteristics including date, time, start and end of smoking, puffs per cigarette, puff volume and puff duration
  • Custom  wearable virtual impactors (developed in partnership with the UMN Department of Mechanical Engineering), passive samplers for specific classes of chemical compounds, and other exposure analysis tools for personal exposure sampling.