On December 7th, 2016, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) released their Superfund Research Program (SRP) Research Brief, a monthly newsletter which shares “innovative research outcomes from projects supported by the NIEHS SRP.” The brief was titled “The Porous Extraction Paddle – A Non-Targeted Sampling Device to Detect Contaminants in Urine,” and described the efforts of PROTECT’s Project 3 led by Roger Giese.
The brief summarized the research processes, the accomplishments, and the significance of Giese’s and his team’s work, focusing heavily on their inventive tool, the Porous Extraction Paddle (PEP) device. The PEP is currently being used by PROTECT to analyze urine samples collected from pregnant women in Puerto Rico. The team has hopes of discovering xenobiotics contributing to preterm birth through their analysis. Project 3 is carrying out a similar process in their analysis of Puerto Rico groundwater samples for chemicals which may be influencing pregnancy outcomes.
To read the online version of the brief, visit this page. To subscribe to the monthly Research Brief newsletter, visit the NIH Subscriber’s Corner.