Versatile filter membrane for effective sampling and real-time quantitative detection of airborne pathogens

Abstract

Construction of air filter membranes bearing prominent collecting and transferring capability is highly desirable for detecting airborne pathogens but remains challenging. Here, a hyaluronic acid air filter membrane (HAFM) with tunable heterogeneous micro-nano porous structures is straightforwardly constructed through the ethanol-induced phase separation strategy. Airborne pathogens can be trapped and collected by HAFM with high performance due to the ideal trade-off between removal efficiency and pressure drop. By exempting the sample elution and extraction processes, the HAFM after filtration sampling can not only directly disperse on the agar plate for colony culture but also turn to an aqueous solution for centrifugal enrichment, which significantly reduces the damage and losses of the captured microorganisms. The following combination with ATP bioluminescence endows the HAFM with a real-time quantitative detection function for the captured airborne pathogens. Benefiting from high-efficiency sampling and non-traumatic transfer of airborne pathogens, the real-world bioaerosol concentration can be facilely evaluated by the HAFM-based ATP assay. This work thus not only provides a feasible strategy to fabricate air filter membranes for efficient microbial collection and enrichment but also sheds light on designing advanced protocols for real-time detection of bioaerosols in the field. Environmental implicationAirborne pathogens are closely associated with many infectious diseases spreading. Humans have suffered a lot from infectious illnesses and serious complications induced by airborne pathogens. In fact, the ubiquitous airborne microbes have almost invaded every conceivable location on Earth. The pathogenic airborne microbes can spread freely in the air and diffuse over large areas in a short time, resulting in serious economic losses and social disruption. High-efficiency sampling and quantitative detection of airborne pathogens is a crucial route for early prediction and timely alerts of aerosol-transmitted illnesses.