Wearable device to detect airborne germs at work
Advanced Personal Sampler to Assess Occupational Exposures to Bioaerosols
Researchers are building a battery-powered wearable air sampler that concentrates and collects airborne microbes so workers can better understand what they are breathing on the job.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Rutgers, the State Univ of N.j. NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Piscataway, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11180953 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would be asked to use or provide samples from a small, battery-operated personal electrostatic sampler that pulls air through a collector, electrically charges particles, and traps them on a removable cartridge. The trapped material will be washed into a tiny liquid volume using a special elution station so labs can run culture tests, molecular assays, sequencing, or rapid detection kits. The team plans to finish the device design, integrate electronics and controls, and make the sampler four times better at concentrating particles than their prototype. The finished sampler will be compared side-by-side with other personal samplers and tested with several microorganisms, including the human coronavirus OC43, to check how well it detects real workplace bioaerosols.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are people who work in jobs with potential airborne biological exposures—such as healthcare, laboratory, agricultural, waste management, or ventilation workers—who can wear a small sampler during shifts or provide collected samples.
Not a fit: People without concerns about workplace airborne exposures or those who cannot or will not wear a personal sampler are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the device could make it easier to detect and quantify workplace airborne microbes, helping employers and health professionals prevent and respond to exposures.
How similar studies have performed: Other personal air samplers exist and the team demonstrated early feasibility with a prototype, but the planned electrostatic high-concentration sampler and full validation are novel and still need proof in comparisons and real-world testing.
Where this research is happening
Piscataway, United States
- Rutgers, the State Univ of N.j. — Piscataway, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Mainelis, Gediminas — Rutgers, the State Univ of N.j.
- Study coordinator: Mainelis, Gediminas
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.