BSL-3 Aerosol Challenge Studies
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BSL-3 Aerosol Challenge Studies
IITRI’s BSL-3 / ABSL-3 aerobiology lab includes an aerosol generation apparatus for aerosol challenge studies with BSL-3 pathogens, select agents or toxins (bioaerosols) as well as developing inhaled drugs for viruses like SARS-CoV-2. Conducting aerosol challenge studies in a high-containment environment evaluates medical countermeasures (MCMs) against aerosol-delivered infectious disease bioterrorism agents such as anthrax, F. tularensis, or Y. pestis, or for evaluation of treatments or vaccines towards aerosol-transmitted emerging diseases such as VEE, WEE, M. tuberculosis, and high-path influenza.
Aerosol generation systems for biological solutions (bacterial and viral cultures, proteins) must be designed to minimize destruction of bacterial and viral solutions, which are sensitive to the shear stress that is generated by aerosolization systems. IITRI utilizes a proprietary aerosol generation system that is comprised of six PARI LC plus nebulizers operated at lower pressures to minimize damage to microorganisms or biomolecules, and a 64-port nose-only exposure chamber through which supply and exhaust air are controlled by regulators and flow meters.
| IITRI Inhalation System Feature | Advantage |
| Lower pressures for bioaerosol generation |
Higher bacterial and viral survival rates
Shorter exposure times, higher spray factors |
| Nose only administration (rodents, rabbits) | Provides localized and quantifiable administration of test agent |
| Head-only administration (NHPs) | Quantifiable administration of test article along with real-time plethysmography |
| 64-port inhalation exposure chamber |
Allows testing a larger number of animals at once
Reduces number of exposure runs and decreases variability in the study |
| Efficient aerosol generation mechanism | Eliminates the need for concentration steps prior to aerosol generation |
| Reduced foaming incidence | Eliminates the need for surfactants that weaken bacterial cell walls |
| Animal models | Rodent, Rabbit, Non-human primate (NHP) |
Contact us to learn more about our biocontainment and bioaerosol capabilities.