Current Research
Current Research
Project title: Phenology of grass flowering at the species level (3 year PhD studentship supported by European Commission through a Marie Curie Career Integration Grant, University of Worcester and National Environmental Research Council).
Details: Our PhD student Carl Frisk has been working on observing grass pollen phenology, grass pollen concentrations and developing novel mechanistic modelling approaches based on Markov Chain Modelling and the HYSPLIT model. He will finish in Spring 2021.
Project title: Detecting spatial and vertical concentrations of fungal spores in the atmosphere using bioinformatics and drone technology (3 year PhD studentship supported by European Commission through a Marie Curie Career Integration Grant and University of Worcester).
Details: Our PhD student Godfrey Apangu has been working on Alternaria using both eDNA approaches as well as traditional aerobiological approaches using optical microscopy. He has combined this with vegetation studies and atmospheric modelling using HYSPLIT. He will finish in summer 2021.
Project title: PollerGEN: Linking grass pollen biodiversity and human health: an environmental genomics approach. Funded by National Environmental Research Council with £1.2m to Bangor University, Aberystwyth University, University of Exeter, University of Worcester, University of Sydney and the UK Met Office...
Details: We aim to revolutionise the way that pollen is measured, model spatial and temporal deposition from different species of grass pollen and identify linkages to human health.
Project title: ADOPT: COST Action CA18226 - New approaches in detection of pathogens and aeroallergens. Supported by the European Commission with up to 700kEuro during the period 2019-23
Details: This COST action will establish an interdisciplinary network of experts currently involved in the detection of bioaerosols using both existing methods as well as upcoming technologies such as real or near real-time technologies from atmospheric chemistry and physics or eDNA methods used in molecular biology.
Project title: AUTOPOLLEN: An EUMETNET programme supported by the participating parties and the EUMETNET programme
Details: The AutoPollen brings together a consortium from across Europe with the multidisciplinary expertise needed to address the challenges along the entire information chain – from the actual observation through to the final end-user defined product by using automatic and real-time detection of pollen.
Previous research
Project title: SUPREME
Details: Funder: A Marie Curie Career Integration Grant funded by European Commission: 2014-18 carrying out research on fungal spores, developing a research group and identifying new detection and modelling approaches in aerobiology
Project title: iPOLLEN
Details: Funder: A Marie Curie Fellowship funded by European Commission: 2016-19 aimed at detecting oak pollen using combining gtradidial and eDNA approaches and implement this in novel atmospheric models
Project title: New approaches for the early detection of tree health pests and pathogens
Details: A Research Council project Funder BBSRC: 2014-18 aimed at developing new approaches on detection harmful fungal spores in the air using eDNA approaches.