Aerobiology

Aerobiology (from Greek ἀήρ, aēr, "air"; βίος, bios, "life"; and -λογία, -logia) is a branch of biology that studies the passive transport of organic particles, such as bacteria, fungal spores, very small insects, pollen grains and viruses.

[1] Aerobiologists have traditionally been involved in the measurement and reporting of airborne pollen and fungal spores as a service to those with allergies.

[8] The particle geometry and environment affect all three phases, however once it is aerosolized, its fate depends on the laws of physics governing the motion of the air.

Wind speed and direction fluctuate with time and height, so the specific path of once neighboring particles can vary significantly.

[2] Scientists have to count the particles under magnification, and then analyze sample DNA by Amplicon sequence variant (ASV) or another common method.

[10] A challenge repeatedly cited in literature is that because of differing testing or analysis methodologies, results are not always comparable across studies.

[5] Allergic rhinitis is a type of inflammation in the nose that occurs when the immune system overreacts to allergens in the air.

A current limitation is that many spore traps require scientists to identify and count individual pollen grains under magnification.

[10] Scientists have predicted that the meteorological results of climate change will weaken pollen and spore dispersal barriers, and lead to less biological uniqueness in different regions.