Identifying bioaerosol diversity in theatmosphere of Vilnius, Lithuania, by molecular methods: hints to clarify human bio-exposome

Monitoring biological air particles is fundamental to prevent the spread of airborne allergic and infectious diseases. Traditional aerobiological identifications to track some bioaerosols, such as fungi, bacteria and viruses, poses significant challenges as accurate identification can be exceedingly difficult. Molecular methods can be useful to identify the biodiversity of the human exposome. The aim of this work was to compare de efficacy of different sample collectors for monitoring bioaerosols by molecular methods. Sampling was performed using 4 different volumetric air samplers (VAS), each adjusted to 2 m3: a) 7-day multi-vial cyclone (Burkard); b) Coriolis μ (Bertin); c) Personal Volumetric Air Sampler (PVAS). Total DNA was obtained using the NZY mag viral RNA/DNA isolation kit. DNA yield ([DNA]) was measured using a NanoDrop One. These results indicate that the choice of sampling methodology significantly impacts the total amount of DNA collected, limiting the molecular sequencing opportunities and biodiversity analysis.