HYDRA - Hydrogels for Aerosol Capture

Aerosol sampling techniques can collect pathogens from the air for analysis and identification. Dry
collection has poor collection efficiency and causes damage to the sample through impaction and
dehydration. Engineering new materials that protect a bioaerosol sample and optimise recovery of
viable pathogens would be transformative. Viruses and bacteria have evolved to become adept at
invading, and remaining viable inside, natural hydrogels like mucus, suggesting hydrogels possess
an innate ability to sustain the viability of a bioaerosol sample. Synthetic hydrogels have tuneable
physicochemical properties to allow precision engineering for this task. Furthermore, the aqueous
environment present allows bioassays for identification of aerosols within the gel itself.
This project will combine aerosol science, engineering and polymer chemistry to generate aerosol
capture devices with soft hydrogel components. Major questions include: How can the materials
be paired with a device for optimal collection? What polymer chemistry captures the most
bioaerosols without causing harm? Which approaches to assaying contents will allow for remote
monitoring? Do Surface structures effect collection? How will these devices perform in the field?
By addressing these questions, we hope to take a significant step towards a big scientific challenge:
real-time monitoring of biological airborne threats for the protection of health.