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

详细了解呼出气溶胶颗粒的物理生化特性是有效预防COVID-19、流感、结核病等传染病通过空气传播的必要前提。µRESP提案将基于合作伙伴独特的研究专长，填补与气溶胶形成、组成和传播相关的紧急知识空白。目标和衍生任务联合了三个领先的研究所（MPIDS， MPIC， IKTS）。这些研究所聚集在一起，在这个非常重要的研究项目中发挥他们互补的跨学科专业知识。他们共同使用他们的专用和高度专业化的工具和研究基础设施，雄心勃勃，干劲十足。拟议的研究包括(i)获得可重复的人体气溶胶样本，用于不同的呼吸动作，如唱歌、咳嗽、说话、呼吸等；（ii）使用大量最先进的显微镜和光谱学技术，在呼吸动作的大小、数量和组成方面进行全面和相关的气溶胶表征；（iii）收集来自不同年龄、性别受试者的独特数据和样本。以及健康状况，并结合对这些数据的统计和定量分析，包括在HEADS应用程序中免费获得这些数据。

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.