Autonomous robotic sampling of bio-aerosols for real-time DNA sequencing using MinION sequencer

Bioaerosols are tiny airborne particles originating from plants or animals, and human exposure to them comes with potentially serious health risks. Indeed, this is a growing hazard due to an upscale in industrial activities, intensive agriculture facilities and waste management technologies, as well as the pandemic. To mitigate the effects of bioaerosols, real-time analysis in indoor and outdoor environments is warranted.

Here, we propose an autonomous robotic bioaerosol sampler undertaking real-time genomic sequencing using a MinION sequencer to provide a powerful, sensitive, and rapid method to analyse changes in the composition of airborne microbial communities. The proposed bioaerosol sampler is portable, compact and can be mounted on rovers for indoor bioaerosol monitoring in closed environments such as hospitals, office spaces and occupational sections. It can also be scaled for outdoor applications for monitoring emissions from animal husbandry, agricultural facilities, waste processing and management facilities, and to the defence sector. Determining the source of the bioaerosols in this way, as well as their composition and variability over time, is fundamental to controlling and regulating these emissions.