Perspectives on Sampling and New Generation Sequencing Methods for Low-Biomass Bioaerosols in Atmospheric...

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Microbiology
• Atmospheric Science

Background:

• Bioaerosols are crucial in atmospheric processes and impact human health.
• Most environments, including indoor and outdoor settings, harbor low-biomass bioaerosols.
• Specialized environments like cleanrooms and space stations contain ultra-low-biomass bioaerosols.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review primary bioaerosol sources and influencing factors.
• To discuss advances in air sampling and new generation sequencing (NGS) for low-biomass bioaerosol characterization.
• To address challenges in NGS analysis bias for ultra-low biomass samples.

Main Methods:

• Review of current literature on bioaerosol sampling techniques.
• Analysis of new generation sequencing (NGS) methods for microbial community characterization.
• Focus on high-volume air samplers and robust sample treatment protocols for NGS.

Main Results:

• Standard sampling methods may introduce bias in NGS analysis, particularly for ultra-low biomass.
• High-volume filter-based or liquid-based samplers are needed to enhance microorganism detection limits.
• Advances in NGS and bioinformatics enable precise taxonomic and functional profiling of bioaerosols.

Conclusions:

• Improved air sampling and NGS protocols are essential for accurate bioaerosol analysis.
• Techniques like long-read sequencing and meta-transcriptomics can detect active and infectious bioaerosolized pathogens.
• Understanding bioaerosol communities is vital for assessing atmospheric roles and human health risks.