Fundamental to the NIEHS mission is the ability to quantify an individual's exposure, as well as the unique characteristics that account for individualized responses to the exposures. The goal of this exposure biology program is to develop new technology and assays to generate precise measurements of human exposure to chemical and biological agents that may lead to disease or dysfunction. The desired application of these technologies and assays is in population-based (epidemiological) or clinical research and practice. Indeed there is an overall NIH effort in Exposure Biology which is part of a larger Gene and Environment Initiative (GEI). Applicants in the exposure biology aspect of the NIEHS SBIR program should also examine the GEI Web site(http://www.gei.nih.gov/exposurebiology/) as there are additional RFAs available in this area. It is anticipated that the new technologies and assays, such as those based on micro- and nanotechnology and molecular imaging, may provide sensitive, high throughput, and potentially portable systems capable of measuring environmental exposures and the impact of the exposures on human biology. Ideally, such technologies and assays will provide exposure measurements with a high degree of temporal and spatial resolution; that is, they will provide real-time measurements of exposure (high temporal resolution) as an individual moves from location to location (high spatial resolution). Additionally, the technologies and assays will be able to provide precise, quantitative measurements of both current (and ongoing) exposures and/or past exposures, depending on the exposure agent measured. Exposure Biology Program Topics:
The NIEHS contact person is: Jerrold J. Heindel, Ph.D. |
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