Culturing Life from Air: Using a Surface Air System to Introduce Discovery-Based Research in Aerobiology into the Undergraduate Biology Curriculum

Abstract

Although the field of aerobiology predates Louis Pasteur’s classic experiments in the late 19th century, the atmosphere has recently emerged as one of the last great frontiers in the field of microbiology. Recent research has demonstrated that airborne microbes are more diverse than previously thought and are metabolically active in some cases, influencing atmospheric chemistry and meteorological patterns. Furthermore, concern continues to grow regarding airborne travel of biothreat agents and emerging infectious diseases in an increasingly global society. Despite the increased recognition of the atmosphere as a frontier for microbiological exploration in both basic and applied sciences, students are generally not exposed to this field of research in the undergraduate biology curriculum. We describe the use of the Surface Air System (SAS) SUPER 180 (Bioscience International, Rockville, MD), an extremely rugged, easy-to-use, portable and nearly maintenance-free instrument that impacts defined volumes of air directly onto petri dishes to facilitate the study of culturable airborne microorganisms. We successfully employed this instrument in a Biology I course in which freshmen, with no prior research experiences, conducted discovery-based research that produced data that was presented at a national meeting and made a genuine contribution to the field of aerobiology. We also describe how such discovery-based research experiences in aerobiology can be used as a platform for teaching core biological concepts and basic laboratory skills.Editor's Note:The ASM advocates that students must successfully demonstrate the ability to explain and practice safe laboratory techniques. For more information, read the laboratory safety section of the ASM Curriculum Recommendations: Introductory Course in Microbiology and the Guidelines for Biosafety in Teaching Laboratories, available at www.asm.org. The Editors of JMBE recommend that adopters of the protocols included in this article follow a minimum of Biosafety Level 2 practices.