Applied-RadioIsotope & Environmental Laboratory (ARIEL)

The primary objective of the project is to provide the United Kingdom with a unique, world-class research & training radioisotope infrastructure for environmental science. The general technique of radiolabelling involves labelling a molecule with radioactive atoms to follow the fate of that molecule within a specific cell, a particular tissue, an entire organism, or even an ecosystem (e.g. using mesocosms). Current use of radiotracer techniques in medicinal sciences has reduced the price of ultra-sensitive analytical equipment and made them accessible to other areas of knowledge such as biogeochemistry, ecotoxicology, environmental engineering as well as food security. It is important to note that radiolabelling approaches always uses very low doses of radiation so that the labelled molecules never pose any threat to the organisms under investigation or to the experimenter. Nevertheless, the envision facility is designed so that radioisotopes are never released into the environment.

The project consists of setting up an Applied Radioisotope & Environmental Laboratory (ARIEL) for the safe handling of radioisotopes and their use as radiolabels in various type of samples such as sediments, soils, water, and organisms exposed to very low levels of radiations in environmentally realistic experimental settings. The laboratory will include (i) an experimental bench for organism exposures to radiotracers; (ii) a working space for syntheses of labelled molecules, sample preparations as well as space for chromatographic separation and cryo-microtomy; (iii) a dark analytical room with various radioisotope detectors (alpha, beta and gamma radiation) to perform the Quantitative Whole-body Autoradiography.

We are proposing the expansion and refurbishing of the radiochemistry laboratory in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Surrey on a modest surface of no more than 30 m2. Currently, our radiotracer working group has only the exclusive use of a very small laboratory (ca. 12 m2) where we cannot house the NX 70 cryomicrotome (recently funded by CAMS # 600310/10 fellowship - Tracking Nanoplastic in Biological Tissue awarded to the present PI) and other equipment already in our possession (i.e. dedicated Glove box, in vivo gamma counter, liquid scintillation counter). This space could not house the necessary equipment for the long-term development of the radiotracer laboratory herein proposed.

To complete the laboratory, we are proposing to acquire new equipment including an oxidizer, a liquid gamma counter, a super low-level liquid scintillation counter and a phosphor imager with lead shielding boxes.

ARIEL will offer a unique opportunity world-wide to train highly qualified personnel via the Bachelor, master and doctoral programs in radiochemistry at the University of Surrey. The research that will be generated by the laboratory will be key in terms of acquiring new knowledge on the behaviour of aquatic species and ecosystems in the face of environmental stressors (e.g. toxic inputs and environmental change). As such, the project proposed aligns with the university strategic research theme of sustainability. The priority of the laboratory is to provide a full characterisation of the fate of plastic particles and other hazardous emerging contaminants in environmental matrices. The laboratory will provide a state-of-the-art facility for the next generation of ecotoxicology and environmental studies.