Measuring airborne microbial communities

With every breath we take, we inhale small particles such as dust, liquids, and microbes including fungal spores, bacteria, and archaea. These airborne microbes can affect the health of humans, animals, and crops while also influencing atmospheric chemistry and the creation of clouds. Despite their importance, scientists know little about the abundance and diversity of airborne microbes across space and time. To fill in these knowledge gaps, investigators will be collecting airborne microbes at ground level and at over 800 feet above the Earth’s surface during different times of the day and year. At the same time they will be testing a new detection system, which uses fluorescence to count the numbers of microorganisms in the atmosphere. For the first time, scientists will be able to watch short-term fluctuations in airborne microbial communities in real-time.