Jump to content
Symbolfoto: Das AIT ist Österreichs größte außeruniversitäre Forschungseinrichtung

Bioaerosol services & Pathogen detection

Bioaerosol services & Pathogen detection

Bioaerosol Services

On the one hand, our activities in the sector of bioaerosol research focus on the detection and development of specific detection systems of biological particles from the air: pollen or plant material, fungi, bacteria, spores and viruses. On the other hand, our specific and unique bioaerosol chamber allows establishing a controlled environment of singe organisms or mixes thereof with a defined number of microbial particles. Thus, we are able to test and validate sampling devices and methods reproducibly in controlled environments. Due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, apart from bioaerosol detection, our scientists lay special focus on the development and validation of efficient air and surface decontamination strategies.

Our offer

  • Tailor-made sampling campaigns for occupational safety, or indoor mold examination
  • Validation of air sampling devices in the controlled and reproduceable environment of AIT’s bioaerosol chamber.
  • Development of specific biomolecular detection methods for fungi, bacteria and viruses from the air.
  • Development and validation of efficient air and surface decontamination strategies.

Pathogen detection

Our scientists have a long-standing experience in the development of culture-independent DNA-based detection systems. This is reflected in the large number of pathogen detection systems we can offer to our clients in different fields of application such as agriculture, food industry or the golf sector (turf grass pathogens).

Our offer

  • Analysis and identification of bacteria and fungi via biomolecular and genomic, microbiological and microscopic methods.
  • AIT provides a multiplex qPCR assay for turf grass pathogens as monitoring system for early pathogen detection. Such precaution allows the selection of specific and effective control measures as well as the reduction of fungicide use.
  • Development of custom-tailored DNA-based detection systems.