Indoor/outdoor Bioaerosols Interface and Relationships Network - BioAirNet

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In 2019 the Public Health of England estimated that, in the UK, between 28,000 and 36,000 deaths a year can be attributed to long-term exposure to air pollution. However, we still do not know what role particulate matter of biological origins (BioPM) or bioaerosols play in this health burden nor the precise impact of exposures within the indoor or outdoor continuum. Therefore, we don't yet know how to control BioPM. There is also significant knowledge gap on how the physico-chemical and biological characteristics of BioPM emissions are affected at the indoor-outdoor continuum and how these affect exposure patterns and what are the resultant health impacts. The lack of progress to date mainly stems from disconnected scientific disciplines and sectoral foci, each with their own perspectives, terminology and methods. Likewise, lack of knowledge on dose-response relationships and changing landscapes of psychosocial, economical and physical vulnerability and susceptibility of the population to BioPM over the life course and in different indoor and outdoor environments are key barriers to the estimation of health benefits. Therefore, the proposed network will address the interdisciplinary challenge needed for quantifying and managing human exposure to biological particulate matters and related health risks across a continuum of diverse indoor to outdoor environments. The research will engage with a wide range of actors to realise societal impact and establish cross-collaboration activities along with a roadmap for a comprehensive "Bio-exposome" assessment and characterisation.Interactive activities including workshops and an online discussion forum are planned throughout the project. These activities will offer a unique opportunity for participants to debate issues around BioPM in a contested space with different interest groups. This will reveal new ways of thinking and innovative solutions to policy and issues around BioPM, as well as informing the ongoing focus of the network. Networking and dissemination activities include an annual based community event which showcases the disciplines needed to create a coherent research community that can explore the field all the way from functionality at a molecular level to the societal implications of introducing new approaches and technologies. Working groups (WG) each focused on a different theme will identify priority areas and draw on selected participants to ensure cross-fertilisation and the transfer of knowledge between disciplines, translating these into tangible outputs for stakeholders, policy-makers and other community-based actors. Joint events with other Networks will have an important function for cross-fertilisation and two-way transfer of knowledge and expertise. Cross-theme workshops will act as sandpits for cross-disciplinary and industry/academic discussion of transitional research developments. There is also a strong focus on empowering early career researchers (ECR) with an annual ECR conference, cross-disciplinary skills training, outreach activities, active programmes of inter-laboratory and industry secondments and directly allocated funds for ECR mobility to present work at international events.BioAirNet has a strong and robust management and governance plan that has a high level of community-based stakeholders' involvement and reaches out to attract membership of the Air Community worldwide.