Molecular Genetic Analysis of Biological Atmospheric Aerosol Particles

• Applicant: Dr. Viviane Grant
• Subject Area: Atmospheric Science
• Term: from 2006 to 2009
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 28484231

• Final Report Year: 2012

Final Report Abstract

Within the DFG proposal we investigated bioaerosols with molecular genetic tools. We were able to optimize experimental procedures spanning from the sampling itself, the DNA extraction processes to amplification procedures. With these optimized protocols we compared urban, rural, and high-alpine air. For fungal and bacterial DNA we detected typical representatives of soil which are also transported with the air. The comparison between urban and rural sampled revealed a higher species richness in bacterial rural samples compared to the urban environment. Within urban air we found ~7 ng m-3 DNA which results in an adult person living in a city inhaling every day about 0.05 – 1.2 μg DNA, corresponding to 107–108 haploid bacterial genomes (E.coli) or 104–105 haploid human genomes, respectively. The comparison of fungal air particulate matter between continental, coastal, and marine sampling sites, revealed a clear biogeographic pattern for fungal particulate matter in air. This is interesting, as air in theory experiences no borders and thus can spread anywhere and transport particles everywhere. The biogeographic pattern clearly shows that diversity and composition of biological particles in air are influenced by local sources and due to their size varying atmospheric residence time. These results are of major importance to understand possible effects global warming might have, as it will change the distribution of sources for biological particles and thus also the open up new areas where bioaerosols might be transported to. Within the sampling area of Mainz, Germany, we studied the diversity and composition of fungi, archaea, plants and bacteria within a whole seasonal cycle. We could detect seasonal variations within fungi, archaea and plants. These seasonal cycles are mainly caused by the organisms specific life styles (e.g. flowering or sporulation season), as well as from the availability of other sources (e.g. influence of agricultural activities like harvesting or fertilization). Interestingly, we could also detect seasonality within individual species, amongst them also plant and human pathogens. It will be interesting to follow up on these specific organisms to better understand when to actively e.g protect plants from certain pathogens effectively. Finally, we were able to demonstrate that individual species can be detected and measured quantitatively and thus their seasonality and quantity can be visualized. For ragweed and mugwort we could show that the amount of DNA of these plants in air depends on the number of plants, meteorological conditions in the growing season, combat between both plants and long distance transport.

Publications

• Characterization of primary biogenic aerosol particles in urban, rural, and high-alpine air by DNA sequence and restriction fragment analysis of ribosomal RNA genes. Biogeosciences 2007, 4, 1127-1141
  V. R. Després , J. F. Nowoisky, M. Klose, R. Conrad, M. O. Andreae, U. Pöschl
  
• IUGG 2007. Genetic analysis and diversity of primary biogenic aerosol particles
  V. Després, J. Nowoisky, M. Klose, C. Pfeifer, R. Conrad, M. O. Andreae, U. Pöschl
  
• AGU2009. Field Observation of Bioaerosols: What We’ve Learned from Fluorescence, Genetic, and Microscopic Techniques
  J. A. Huffman, J. Fröhlich-Nowoisky, V.R. Després, W. Elbert, B. Sinha, C. Pöhlker, M.O. Andreae, U. Pöschl
  
• EGU2009. High Diversity of Fungi in Air Particulate Matter
  J. Fröhlich-Nowoisky, Daniel A. Pickersgill, V. R. Després, U. Pöschl
  
• High diversity of fungi in air particulate matter. PNAS 2009, 106, 12814-12819
  J. Fröhlich-Nowoisky, D.A.Pickersgill, V.R. Després, U.Pöschl
  
• Microbiology and atmospheric processes: biological, physical and chemical characterization of aerosol particles. Biogeosciences 2009, 6, 721-737
  D.G. Georgakopoulos , V.R. Després, J. Fröhlich-Nowoisky, R. Psenner, P.A. Ariya, M. Pósfai, H.E. Ahern, B.F. Moffett, T.C.J. Hill
  
• IAC 2010. Fungal Diversity and Biogeography in the Air
  J. Fröhlich-Nowoisky,V. R. Després, U. Pöschl
  
• Quellen in Feinstäuben. In: Statuspaper Feinstaub. (eds. Schmidt, K.G., Zellner, R.), ProcessNet, 2010
  Kuhlbusch, T., Quass, U., Theloke, J., Friedrich, R., Herrmann, H., Jaenicke, R., Després, V.R.
  
• IUGG2011. Determination of airborne plant pathogens by DNA analysis: fungus-like microorganisms
  J. Fröhlich-Nowoisky, C. Ruzene-Nespoli, V. R. Després, U. Pöschl
  
• Biogeography in the air: fungal diversity over land and oceans. Biogeosciences 2012, 9, 1125–1136
  J. Fröhlich-Nowoisky, S. M. Burrows, Z. Xie, G. Engling, P. A. Solomon, M. P. Fraser, O. L. Mayol-Bracero, P. Artaxo, D. Begerow, R. Conrad, M. O. Andreae, V. R. Després, and U. Pöschl
  
• EAC2012. Identification of plant DNA in air: DNA analysis and relevance for human health
  I. Müller-Germann, J. Fröhlich-Nowoisky, U. Pöschl, V. R. Després
  
• Primary biological aerosol particles in the atmosphere: a review. Tellus B 2012, 64, 015598
  V.R. Després, J.A. Huffman, S.M. Burrows, C. Hoose, A.S. Safatov, G. Buryak, J.Fröhlich-Nowoisky, W.Elbert, M.O.Andreae, U.Pöschl, R.Jaenicke