WP 5 Microbial exposure assessment with molecular methodology
Participating partners: THL
Due to the known and severe limitations of culture-based approaches in qualitative and quantitative description of microbial communities, modern molecular approaches have started to complement and replace traditional methods. In this work package, we measure indoor microbial exposures on a more general level with GC-MS methods that target microbial cell wall compounds ('chemical markers’) and on a more specific level with methods determining DNA-regions (PCR-based methodologies). Both strategies provide rapid and sensitive tools for determination of microbial exposures.
This work package aims to determine indoor air microbial exposures in schools across Europe and to explore associations with health effects in school children and teachers. Also temporal variation in microbial levels in settled dust from schools in three climatic regions of Europe will be assessed.
In addition, microbial exposures in homes across Europe will be determined using dust samples and these data will be combined with long-term health effects in children and adults in work packages 9 and 10.
Due to the known and severe limitations of culture-based approaches in qualitative and quantitative description of microbial communities, modern molecular approaches have started to complement and replace traditional methods. In this work package, we measure indoor microbial exposures on a more general level with GC-MS methods that target microbial cell wall compounds ('chemical markers’) and on a more specific level with methods determining DNA-regions (PCR-based methodologies). Both strategies provide rapid and sensitive tools for determination of microbial exposures.
This work package aims to determine indoor air microbial exposures in schools across Europe and to explore associations with health effects in school children and teachers. Also temporal variation in microbial levels in settled dust from schools in three climatic regions of Europe will be assessed.
In addition, microbial exposures in homes across Europe will be determined using dust samples and these data will be combined with long-term health effects in children and adults in work packages 9 and 10.