Unifying atmospheric biology research for the US scientific community

A global COVID-19 pandemic, rising asthma and allergies, along with climate change impacting storm intensity and frequency, point to an urgent need to unify U.S. atmospheric biology research. To this end, we briefly define atmospheric biology, summarize its fragmented history, and then outline how to unify the field to provide benefits for the U.S. science community and its citizens. Atmospheric biology refers to the study of concentrations, sources, sinks, transformation, and impacts of airborne microorganisms inclusive of pollen, fungal spores, algae, lichens, bacteria, viruses, cellulose fibers, and other biomolecules or fragments of cells. Here our focus is biological particles, both respirable (PM10) and systemic (PM2.5). Due to its interdisciplinary dependencies and broadness of scales from nanometers to kilometers, atmospheric biology research is highly fragmented in the U.S. science community. It lacks shared paradigms and common vocabulary. This deficit calls for recognizing atmospheric biology as a research community in its own right, thereby linking human health to climate change. We need to recognize atmospheric biology's importance to national security and science diplomacy. Advanced atmospheric biology research is being conducted in Europe, Russia, and China, not in the United States.

Automated summary

The article emphasizes the importance of atmospheric biology research and points out the fragmentation and lagging of the United States in this field. It is necessary to unify the field to achieve scientific progress and national security.