Gift article about LA wildfires: "Visits to the emergency department rose 46% for heart attacks and 24% for pneumonia and other pulmonary illnesses compared with earlier years, the researchers reported." www.wsj.com/health/healt...

We are excited to invite abstract submissions for talks and posters for the 2026 Ecology and Evolution of Infectious Diseases meeting at Virginia Tech (June 2-4). Abstract submissions should be made by February 3, 2026 for consideration, using the google form here: cpe.vt.edu/eeid2026/abs...

1. Looks like we're into #flu season, folks. A 🧵 #CDC reports that for the week ending 12/6, 3.2% of medical visits were for flu-like illnesses. The baseline — ie the point where flu season is considered to have started — is 3.1%. This timing is pretty normal, coming after the mixing at Thanksgiving

Fascinating outlook on similarities in aerosolization of microbes from the ocean surface and respiratory tract fluid by Dommer @rommieamaro.bsky.social @kprather.bsky.social

Six-week study of 67 students in four classes, 1047 saliva samples -> "Prolonged exposure in shared, poorly ventilated spaces, which potentially includes several infectious sources, drives respiratory virus transmission more than close contact." www.nature.com/articles/s41... HT: Emily Martin

Free access to the final version of "Ten questions concerning indoor dust" for the next 50 days at authors.elsevier.com/c/1m7oK1HudN... @ericamhartmann.bsky.social

NEW: We traced out a devastating outbreak of bird flu to its source: an egg farm in Ohio. Where the wind blew, the virus followed. Within weeks, the farms downwind were about 20 times as likely to see outbreaks as those that weren’t.

Very excited that Blueprint Biosecurity is funding studies that will evaluate the real-world effectiveness of far-UVC light as a pandemic countermeasure! We're looking at infectious flu virus in respiratory particles with and without far-UVC. blueprintbiosecurity.org/building-the...

Thanks to Erica Hartmann for leading a newly published paper, "Ten questions concerning indoor dust." What is it? Where does it come from? How does it mediate environmental exposures? How does it affect chemicals indoors? www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

We are honored to share that @linseymarr.bsky.social of @vtengineering.bsky.social will give the Eighteenth Annual Gaden Lecture. Named after alumnus, former faculty member, department chair, and "father of biochemical engineering" Elmer L. Gaden Jr., it is our most prestigious lecture of the year.

Evidence continues to accumulate linking exposure to air pollution with dementia. www.nytimes.com/2025/11/01/h...

Could a “smoke alarm” for airborne contaminants monitor and improve the quality of the air indoors? (Where Americans spend 90 percent of their time!) An interdisciplinary research team led by @linseymarr.bsky.social will create such a system that could cut respiratory illnesses by 25 percent. 👏

Healthy indoor air is a proven prescription for public health that can help fortify our buildings and enhance people’s health, protecting against respiratory diseases and illnesses, cardiovascular disease and cognitive decline. resources.wellcertified.com/press-releas...

I have a lot of travel coming up, and it's that time of year, so I just got my flu and COVID shots.

Glad to have the support of Representative Morgan Griffith for our new ARPA-H BREATHE award @virginiatech.bsky.social! morgangriffith.house.gov/news/documen...

You know Jeff Siegel is in town when he whips out deodorant to see if its terpene emissions react with ozone from my new far-UVC lamps to generate secondary aerosol. He gave a great seminar about HVAC filter forensics! www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

We have a new PhD project to study ozone formation from fires. If interested in atmospheric chemistry, fires, living in Zurich, and studying at ETH, consider applying here: jobs.ethz.ch/job/view/JOP...

I'm thrilled to be leading, along with AJ Prussin II, an ARPA-H BREATHE team that will integrate new biosensors, risk assessment software, and engineering controls to bring clean and healthy indoor air to more buildings. arpah.gov/news-and-eve...

Now with update 🙌

Influenza A virus RNA found in airborne particles from pigs across a range of particle sizes. For reference a 10 micron particle takes ~8 minutes to settle to the ground from a height of 5 feet. That's plenty of time for it to drift around and be inhaled by others.

National Academies @health.nationalacademies.org Workshop on Personal Protective Equipment for Influenza A (H5N1) in High-Risk Farm Settings happening now at www.nationalacademies.org/event/45411_...

Glad to see the toxic fume problem being addressed. Gift link to unlocked article: www.wsj.com/business/air...

The momentum for clean indoor air continues to build. I attended the inaugural High-Level Side Event on indoor air quality at the UN General Assembly yesterday. Short remarks by Lidia Morawska @joeallenjoe.bsky.social @isiaq.bsky.social Pres. Kerry Kinney, ASHRAE, WHO, UNEP, many others.

Fascinating new observations about the corpse plant, such as, "the corpse plant’s powerful emission rates can be an order of magnitude stronger than landfills – albeit only for two nights." Most-emitted compound? Methanethiol, a skunky compound.

If you're interested in reading a review paper (open access) about this problem, Bill Lindsley found ehjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10....

GIFTED, UNLOCKED ARTICLE: www.wsj.com/business/air... with expert input from @joeallenjoe.bsky.social This is disturbing. I'm considering adding a respirator with activated carbon to my travel kit.

Bill Lindsley and I are at Emory University with Seema Lakdawala and Matt Pauly testing our sampling tunnel that we use to collect virus from exhaled breath of infected people.

Good news for firefighters who want to protect themselves from the harmful effects of breathing smoke: www.nytimes.com/2025/09/09/u...

And now EPA has a radon superhero's activity book for kids! www.epa.gov/system/files... Radon exposure in indoor air is the second leading cause of lung cancer. Test your home!

We have policies/laws/regulations to ensure that our food and water are clean and safe. Why not for air, too? Typical amounts taken in per day: food = 4 lb water = 3 lb air = 30 lb

In EPA's Air Cleaning Allies activity book, Merv, Aerie, and DJ remind me of Rumi, Mira, and Zoey of K-Pop Demon Hunters. Particles in the air are the demons.

I love the maze through an HVAC filter on page 7!

Back to school on the other side of the lectern: I'm on sabbatical and am taking Virology @virginiatech.bsky.social (for a grade), hoping to gain fresh insight into my lab's research on virus inactivation and improve my teaching by being a student again.

Are you interested in biosphere-atmosphere interactions, global modeling, and living in Zurich? If so, this postdoc position might be for you! Please share with any interested colleagues: jobs.ethz.ch/job/view/JOP...

I understand that not all firefighters want to wear respiratory protection, but shouldn't we at least make it available and help them understand the risks? Gift link: www.nytimes.com/2025/08/17/u...

Want to move to Switzerland? We are looking for a postdoc to study airborne viruses: careers.epfl.ch/job/Lausanne... @linseymarr.bsky.social @lakdawalalab.bsky.social @corsiaq.bsky.social @influenzal.bsky.social @chuckhaas.bsky.social

I am delighted to share that Dr. William Lindsley, formerly of NIOSH/CDC, has joined my research group as a Senior Research Scientist. He brings deep experience and expertise with bioaerosol sampling, respiratory particle emissions, and interventions. Made possible thanks to @macfound.org.

Avian Flu Diary commented on our preprint describing H5N1 environmental contamination in air, cow's exhaled breath, wastewater, milking equipment at dairy farms, led by Seema Lakdawala. afludiary.blogspot.com/2025/08/prep...

What a terrible loss for all Americans! Our air and water are cleaner than in many other parts of the world thanks to EPA's research.

Quantifying Dissemination of Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Air from a Dairy Farm and Swine Farm, led by PhD student David Kormos, now published! We found ARGs in a range of particle sizes, indicating potential for inhalation exposure and long-range transport. pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...

GIFT LINK: Good primer about portable air cleaners. We have two that we use for pollen, wildfire smoke, particles from cooking, viruses when someone is sick. Clarification: Some, but not all, filters are made of the same material as masks (polypropylene). www.nytimes.com/2025/06/30/c... /1

@patriciafabian.bsky.social's group wrangled a huge amount of data from >4000 rooms in 125 schools and calculated air-exchange rates (AERs). "Calculated AER ranged from < 0.1–64 /hr, averaging 3.0 /hr (SD = 2.9)."

My colleague Hosein Foroutan is using some of our particle analyzers to study air pollution generated by tire wear. Did you know that tires lose 10-20% of their weight over their lifetimes?! It ends up as dust particles in air and on the road. news.vt.edu/videos/k/202...

Nestled in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains, #VirginiaTech is home to stunning outdoor destinations and researchers who find balance in the great outdoors. Six @vtengineering.bsky.social faculty members share how they thrive in both the lab and the outdoors. ➡️ brnw.ch/21wTr96

Important result from CDC research team: H5N1 flu virus from a dairy farm worker transmitted by direct contact in ferrets with 100% efficiency (6/6 animals infected) and by droplets/aerosols in ferrets, physically separated, with 50% efficiency (3/6 animals infected). wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/...

Marc Edwards and I @macfound.org joined two other @vtengineering.bsky.social faculty members to discuss the importance of sharing our research with the public through media interviews, during a @virginiatech.bsky.social event for alumni.

Here's my conversation about AIR-BORNE on @peoplespharmacy.bsky.social [I show up at around 6:20] podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/s...

My former postdoc @nishit-shetty.bsky.social and I contributed to the development of a "calm-aerosol settling chamber" by Daniel Perez' lab. It will enable pre-screening of pandemic potential of viruses and expand capabilities to study transmission. journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...

Time for a sports analogy: Team USA has been dominant in the Olympics thanks to infrastructure and investment. We decide to throw in the towel and let other countries take over. I'm sad to see this happening to our scientific and medical research.

"Our calculations suggest that the proposed budgetary cuts to the NIH will create a social cost that is 16 times greater than the savings that the administration is attempting to achieve." jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...