Micro-biophysical characterization of respiration aerosols (µResp) and their role in airborne transmission of infectious diseases

详细了解呼出的气溶胶颗粒的物理-生化特性是采取有效预防措施防止新冠肺炎、流感和结核病等通过空气传播的传染病的必要先决条件。根据合作伙伴独特的研究专门知识，µRESP提案将填补与气雾剂形成、成分和传播相关的紧急知识空白。这些目标和衍生任务将三个领先的研究所(MPID、MPIC、IKTS)联系在一起。这些机构已经走到一起，在这一非常重要的研究计划中释放出他们互补的和跨学科的专业知识。他们怀着雄心壮志和干劲，共同使用他们专门的、高度专业化的工具和研究基础设施。拟议的研究涉及(I)获取不同呼吸动作(如唱歌、咳嗽、说话、呼吸等)的可重复的人体气溶胶样本，(Ii)使用大量最先进的显微镜和光谱技术，根据呼吸动作的大小、数量和成分，进行全面和相关的气溶胶表征，以及(Iii)从不同年龄、性别和健康状况的受试者收集独特的数据和样本，并结合对这些数据的统计和定量分析，包括这些数据在Heads应用程序中的全球免费提供。

A detailed understanding of the physico-biochemical properties of exhaled aerosol particles is a necessary prerequisite for effective preventive measures against the airborne transmission of infectious diseases such as COVID-19, influenza, and tuberculosis. The µRESP proposal will fill urgent knowledge gaps related to aerosol formation, composition, and transmission, based on the unique research specialization of the partners. The goals and derived tasks have united 3 leading institutes (MPIDS, MPIC, IKTS). These institutes have come together to unleash their complementary and transdisciplinary expertise in this very important research program. They jointly use their dedicated and highly specialized tools and research infrastructures with much ambition and drive. The proposed research involves (i) obtaining reproducible human aerosol samples for different breathing maneuvers such as singing, coughing, talking, breathing, etc., (ii) comprehensive and correlated aerosol characterization using a wealth of state-of-the-art microscopy and spectroscopy techniques in terms of size, number, and composition as a function of breathing maneuver, and (iii) collection of unique data and samples from subjects of different age, gender, and health status in combination with statistical and quantitative analysis of these data including their free availability worldwide in the HEADS app.