Primary biological aerosols often include allergenic and pathogenic microorganisms posing potential risks to human health. Moreover, there are airborne plant and animal pathogens that may have ecological and economic impact. In this study, we used high-throughput sequencing techniques (Illumina, MiSeq) targeting the 16S rRNA genes of bacteria and the 18S rRNA genes of eukaryotes, to characterize airborne primary biological aerosols. We used a filtration system on the UK Facility for Airborne Atmospheric Measurements (FAAM) research aircraft to sample a range of primary biological aerosols across southern England overflying surface measurement sites from Chilbolton to Weybourne. We identified 30 to 60 bacterial operational taxonomic units (OTUs) and 108 to 224 eukaryotic OTUs per sample. Moreover, 16S rRNA gene sequencing identified significant numbers of genera that have not been found in atmospheric samples previously or only been described in limited number of atmospheric field studies, which are rather old or published in local journals. This includes the genera Gordonia, Lautropia, and Psychroglaciecola. Some of the bacterial genera found in this study include potential human pathogens, for example, Gordonia, Sphingomonas, Chryseobacterium, Morganella, Fusobacterium, and Streptococcus. 18S rRNA gene sequencing showed Cladosporium to be the major genus in all of the samples, which is a well-known allergen and often found in the atmosphere. There were also genetic signatures of potentially allergenic taxa; for example, Pleosporales, Phoma, and Brassicales. Although there was no significant clustering of bacterial and eukaryotic communities depending on the sampling location, we found meteorological factors explaining significant variations in the community composition. The findings in this study support the application of DNA-based sequencing technologies for atmospheric science studies in combination with complementary spectroscopic and microscopic techniques for improved identification of primary biological aerosols.

中文翻译：

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高通量测序揭示了全英国的机载细菌和真核生物群落结构

主要的生物气溶胶通常包括对人体健康构成潜在风险的致敏微生物和致病微生物。此外，还有空气传播的动植物病原体，可能会对生态和经济产生影响。在这项研究中，我们使用针对细菌的16S rRNA基因和真核生物的18S rRNA基因的高通量测序技术（Illumina，MiSeq）来表征空气传播的主要生物气溶胶。我们在英国机载大气测量设施（FAAM）的研究飞机上使用了过滤系统，以对英格兰南部飞越从奇伯顿到韦伯的地面测量站点的一系列主要生物气溶胶进行采样。我们确定每个样本30至60个细菌操作分类单位（OTU）和108至224个真核OTU。此外，16S rRNA基因测序确定了以前在大气样品中未发现或仅在有限数量的大气田间研究中描述过的大量属，这些研究相当古老或已在当地杂志上发表。这包括属Gordonia，Lautropia和Psychroglaciecola。在这项研究中发现的一些细菌属包括潜在的人类病原体，例如，戈登尼亚，鞘氨醇单胞菌，Chryseobacterium，Morganella，Fusobacterium和Streptococcus。18S rRNA基因测序表明，枝孢菌是所有样品的主要属，这是众所周知的过敏原，通常在大气中发现。也有潜在过敏原类群的遗传特征。例如，Pleosporales，Phoma和Brassicales。尽管没有细菌和真核生物群落的明显聚集，具体取决于采样位置，但我们发现了气象因素可以解释群落组成的显着变化。这项研究的结果支持基于DNA的测序技术在大气科学研究中的应用，并与光谱和显微镜技术相结合，以改善对主要生物气溶胶的鉴定。