BioMaster

The human population is constantly exposed to a wide variety of bioaerosols in the atmosphere, representing one of the world’s most significant environmental health risks. The recent COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of studying airborne transmission, as it serves as a primary route for the global spread of infections.

The BIO-MASTER PRIN project aims to develop a standardized protocol for sampling, classifying, and characterizing the biodiversity and functioning of key bioaerosol components (mainly bacteria, fungi, and pollen). The need for such a protocol arises from several challenges, including the heterogeneity of experimental designs and classification methods currently used in bioaerosol research, as well as the low efficiency and comparability of existing sampling and analysis techniques. Additionally, aspects related to bioaerosol activity and viability remain underexplored in scientific literature due to the lack of appropriate methodologies. To address these gaps, the BIO-MASTER project tackles new challenges in biological aerosol particle characterization, focusing on taxonomic classification and biological activity.

The developed standardized procedures for bioaerosol sampling and classification will be integrated into a comprehensive protocol, which will be tested in a final monitoring campaign. This campaign will assess both biogenic and non-biogenic components of atmospheric aerosols in industrial cities such as Terni and Taranto, as well as in nearby control sites. The study will investigate bioaerosols’ relationships with air quality, its potential impact on human health, and interactions with other key environmental factors.