Mayo Clinic Builds Air Pathogen Biosensor
Researchers are developing a device that aims to detect airborne viruses, bacteria, and fungi in indoor air within 45 minutes.
Updated on Nov. 7, 2026 in Life Sciences
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A Mayo Clinic team is building an air biosensor to detect airborne pathogens in real time. The device is one component of the HAIQU research project funded by the federal Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health.
Why it matters
Airborne pathogens spread through indoor air, and faster detection could help people respond to potential exposures. The project aims to make indoor air safer and healthier for Rochester residents and the public.
The biosensor draws in 700 liters of air per minute and captures particles from 10 microns down to half a micron, roughly one-eighth the width of a human hair. Captured pathogens are rinsed into 100 microliters of water, and the project has not yet reported validation results.
The players
Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit academic medical center based in Rochester, Minnesota, known for its clinical care and research programs.
Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health
ARPA-H is a federal agency that funds high-risk, high-reward health research projects across the United States.
Siemens Corporation
Siemens Corporation is the U.S. arm of the German industrial conglomerate that develops building automation and management technology.
The details
The biosensor captures airborne particles and rinses them into 100 microliters of water. The liquid is heated to expose pathogen DNA and RNA, then pushed into thousands of microscopic drops with CRISPR reagents that glow when they detect genetic material from specific viruses, bacteria, or fungi.
Timeline
The technology could first be trialed in hospital emergency departments, with no date given.
The Big Picture
The biosensor is one component of ARPA-H's HAIQU research project, which seeks to move indoor air monitoring from reactive testing toward continuous detection. The approach builds on CRISPR-based diagnostics that have been applied to viral and bacterial detection in clinical settings.
If the technology reaches hospital emergency departments, patients and staff could benefit from faster detection of airborne pathogens. The biosensor's potential to flag exposures to measles, Ebola, and up to 100 other pathogens could eventually affect how indoor spaces are monitored.
The takeaway
Faster airborne pathogen detection could change how indoor spaces are monitored in the future. Readers should watch for trial results from hospital settings before expecting the technology in everyday buildings.
Further reading
Explore more Life Sciences coverage from Rochester.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Rochester Post Bulletin.
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