Why are you collecting mouth rinse samples (buccal cells)?
We are trying to determine why some people who are exposed to certain toxins develop diseases, while others exposed to the same toxins do not. Genetics may explain this. We will use genetic information from cheek cells collected in the mouth rinse samples, combined with exposure information from questionnaires, to get a more complete picture of what is causing diseases. In addition to genetic information, mouth rinses also contain saliva which can be analyzed for substances that reflect occupational exposures. Some consider the buccal cell (cheek cell) collection this study’s most important contribution to science. This is the first project of this magnitude to collect genetic information that helps scientists evaluate interactions between genetic susceptibility and agricultural exposures in causing specific diseases. This is on the cutting edge of new discoveries in science.
