According to the BBC, Scientists at the Earlham Institute are using innovative air sampling technology to monitor the spread of deadly diseases, with potential benefits for agriculture, environmental conservation, and public health.
The Institute’s air samplers can quickly and accurately detect bacteria, viruses, and other micro-organisms in the air. This capability allows farmers to grow crops more efficiently and with fewer chemicals, potentially reducing food prices. Relatively, this technology could improve environmental conservation efforts and public health measures by providing timely information about the presence and spread of pathogens.
A PhD student Mia Berelson explains that all living things shed DNA into their surroundings, which can be captured and analyzed by the air samplers.
“Each device works like a really big hoover,” she says. “They suck in over 200 liters of air per minute. The air goes through the filter, and anything in the air—like bits of bacteria, skin cells, bits of pollen—all gets stuck on the filter.”
This DNA is then sequenced to create a profile of all the organisms detected in the area.
The Earlham Institute has been sampling air near farmers’ fields for several years and has expanded its efforts to coastal, forest, and urban locations. Eight samplers have been placed across Norfolk, including Brancaster, Norwich city center, Thetford Forest, and Carlton and Oulton marshes. Additional samplers are located in Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, Lincolnshire, and Oxfordshire. The devices are operated simultaneously for one hour and the process is repeated every three months to monitor seasonal changes.
The full results of this comprehensive sampling effort will be analyzed in Spring 2025.
