Up to $40 million in federal funding fuels research to revolutionize clean indoor air

A biosensor will detect the presence of airborne pathogens, triggering a building-level response that could include increased ventilation and even warnings to vacate the premises. Illustration courtesy of Rajan Chakrabarty for WashU.

When a public building catches fire, its built-in systems automatically respond: Smoke alarms blare, sprinklers kick on, and occupants quickly evacuate.

But what if the life-threatening danger isn’t fire but invisible airborne contaminants that can make occupants sick? Could a similar smart-building system monitor and improve the quality of the air indoors, where Americans spend 90 percent of their time?

With a contract for up to $40 million from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H), an ambitious multi-institutional research team led by Virginia Tech civil engineering faculty and University Distinguished Professor Linsey Marr, and including UM professor, Krista Wigginton, aims to create just such a system.