Molecular differentiation of living and dead biological agents and detection of the tenacity of airborne biological agents
Description:
In bioaerosol samples from workplace measurements it is not yet possible to differentiate which microorganisms are alive and which are dead. This information is, however, important to assess the actual infection potential for employees, since this is exclusively based on living microorganisms. In this project a new method for the differentiation and quantification of living and dead airborne biological agents is to be established. Depending on the environmental conditions and the species the survival (tenacity) can vary considerably, so that the tenacity of different lead organisms from bioaerosol samples of intensive animal husbandry will also investigated. The findings will improve the risk assessment at workplaces with high exposure to bioaerosols in the future.
Contact
Unit 4.7 "Biological Agents"