An exclusive two-day Stakeholder Workshop was hosted by Sciensano and the BCCM/IHEM fungi collection, with participation of Dr Branko Sikoparija (BioSense institute).
 
This event presented and provided hands-on training on the innovative method described in the recently published article Advancing automated identification of airborne fungal spores: guidelines for cultivation and reference dataset creation. The workshop covered in depth the protocols for cultivation, dry harvesting, and aerosolisation of pure fungal spores, as well as the generation of training datasets using the automatic airflow cytometer SwisensPoleno Jupiter, based on holographic imaging and fluorescence spectroscopy. In addition to laboratory demonstrations, this was an opportunity to share expertise and practical tips in mycology.

The BioAirMet project is linked with the EUMETNET Autopollen SYLVA Network. SYLVA's overall goal is to achieve a radical improvement and fill gaps in temporal resolution, timeliness, coverage, and availability of information about aeroallergens and other bioaerosols, which are important indicators and modulators of climate change, affect human and plant health, and play a vital role in ecosystems. SYLVA technological innovations will be accompanied with new infrastructure, distribution and exploitation pathways, and links with stakeholders to ensure technology uptake and sustainability beyond the lifetime of the project.

A second BioAirMet Newsletter was released in August 2025 and can be accessed here. Please let us know if you would like to be added to our mailing list for future newsletters. This can be done using the contact button in the footer below.

The BioAirMet project will be represented at the EXPO 2025, Designing Future Society for Our Lives, held in Osaka, Japan. Partners from METAS and MeteoSwiss have prepared a project flyer which will be displayed in the Swiss pavilion for the duration of the EXPO.

An online open stakeholder meeting was held May 7, 14:00-16:00 CEST to provide an update on project progress and gather stakeholder input on various topics from work packages 1-3:

• Introduction to the project

• WP1: Traceable calibration of automatic bioaerosol monitors with respect to particle number concentration

• WP2: Creation of pollen and fungal spore datasets and development of good practices for machine learning algorithms applied to pollen classification

• WP3: Standarisation of the data output, interface and metadata of the automatic bioaerosol monitors; development of guidelines on data storage, handling and distribution

The meeting was attended by over 20 persons from NMIs, industry and academia.

The BioAirMet 9 month project progress meeting was held online in the afternoons of February 11 and 13, 2025.

The first BioAirMet Newsletter was released in December 2024 and can be accessed here. Please let us know if you would like to be added to our mailing list for future newsletters. This can be done using the contact button in the footer below.

The EUMETNET AutoPollen is developing an automatic monitoring network across Europe, covering all aspects of the information chain: from the initial measurements through to services and products designed to meet end-user needs. EUMETNET seeks to take full advantage of the large potential for progress that automatic observations provide. It brings together a consortium from across Europe with the multidisciplinary expertise needed to address the challenges along the entire information chain – from the initial observation through to the final products and services co-designed with end users. The programme is particularly innovative in its cooperation and standardisation from-the-start approach. AutoPollen also favours synergies with a wide range of communities beyond traditional aerobiology, leading to improved service provision and additional savings.

The BioAirMet project is listed by EUMETNET as one of several ongoing projects and activities related to automatic pollen and fungal spore monitoring across Europe.

The work of the BioAirMet project in conjunction with the AutoPollen network is mentioned in the International Aerobiology Newsletter, volume 95, August 2024, see page 20.

The BioAirMet project is featured in the blog post "From Algorithms to Allergies" on the AI Standards Hub. The BioAirMet project brings together metrology institutes, research organisations, and instrument manufacturers to develop techniques for validation of AI algorithms for pollen classification. This includes methods for uncertainty propagation and for sensitivity analysis to understand how the characteristics of the training data affect algorithm performance. The project team will then feed their findings back to two relevant standards committees. The work will contribute to the development of a new standard on automatic pollen and fungal spore monitoring within the CEN/TC 264/WG 39 – Sampling and Analysis of Airborne Pollen Grains and Fungal Spores, and will contribute to the revision of existing standards published by CEN/TC 264/WG 28 – Measurement of Airborne Microorganisms in Ambient Air.

The BioAirMet project was mentioned in the presentation "Aerotape: real-time detection of ragweed pollens by optical imaging," at World Aerobiology 2024, held in Vilnius July 1-5, 2024. See pages 108-109 of the Abstract Book.

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The BioAirMet project is featured in the article "Aerosol Measurements for Better Air and Health." By improving the measurement and characterization of aersols - tiny particles suspended in the air - using large-scale research facilities like MAX IV, air quality and public health can be improved. Read the entire article using this link.