‘Curious Conversations’ podcast: Linsey Marr discusses airborne pathogen detection and mitigation
Linsey Marr joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to talk about the complexities of airborne pathogens, their impact on health, and a project she’s leading aimed at developing a smart air quality management system. She broke down the challenges of pathogen detection, the importance of collaborative research across different institutions for her current project, and shared some practical advice for improving indoor air quality.
“Curious Conversations” is available on Spotify, Apple, and YouTube.
Takeaways
There are about 100 microbes per liter of air, some of which can be pathogens that lead to the transmission of illnesses.
Real-time detection of airborne pathogens is a significant technical challenge, and can be influenced by a region’s climate.
The Bioaerosol Risk Assessment interVention Engineering research project has a goal of reducing respiratory illnesses by developing a smart clean-air system for buildings.
About Marr
Linsey Marr is a University Distinguished Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Virginia Tech. She leads the Applied Interdisciplinary Research in Air Laboratory, which applies an interdisciplinary approach to study pollutants in indoor and outdoor air. She is especially interested in emerging or non-traditional aerosols such as microorganisms and engineered nanomaterials and how they are transformed in the environment.
This research was funded in part by the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health. The views and conclusions contained in this document are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as representing the official policies, either expressed or implied, of the United States Government.
Learn more
Up to $40 million in federal funding fuels research to revolutionize clean indoor air
Virginia Tech’s Linsey Marr named 2023 MacArthur Fellow
Highly Cited Researchers 2023: Linsey Marr
About the podcast
"Curious Conversations" is a series of free-flowing conversations with Virginia Tech researchers that take place at the intersection of world-class research and everyday life. Produced and hosted by Travis Williams, assistant director of marketing and communications for the Office of Research and Innovation, university researchers share their expertise and motivations as well as the practical applications of their work in a format that more closely resembles chats at a cookout than classroom lectures. New episodes are shared each Tuesday.
