Taxpayer funds worth $150 million (£120 million) are being poured into the development of smart building air systems capable of detecting and neutralising airborne germs invisible to the naked eye, under a major US government initiative. The Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) has launched the BREATHE programme – Building Resilient Environments for Air and Total Health – with the goal of creating what officials describe as “an immune system for every building”. Five research teams across the United States are working on projects aimed at improving indoor air quality in schools, daycares, hospitals, homes and workplaces. The agency’s initial commitment is up to $156 million over five years, with the programme divided into three technical areas: developing indoor biosensors, creating respiratory risk assessment software, and installing systems in buildings for cost-effective delivery of healthier air.
Real-time detection and response
At the heart of the effort are advanced biosensors capable of identifying pathogens and allergens in real time. Virginia Tech is leading a project that uses nanobody-based technology for ultrasensitive detection. According to researchers, the system can identify up to 25 different airborne threats – including SARS-CoV-2, influenza, Legionella and common fungal allergens – a dramatic improvement on previous methods that took days to yield results. “Before this instrument, it would have taken us two days to figure out how much was in the air. Now we’re doing it almost in real time,” said Linsey Marr, an environmental engineer at Virginia Tech, demonstrating a prototype at a Washington event. She was referring to Der f 1, a dust mite allergen that can trigger asthma attacks. Marr added: “We have 10 different things that we’re able to detect, and by the end of the program, there will be 25 different things.”
The biosensor feeds data into specialised software that instantly calculates respiratory risk assessments, taking into account other environmental factors such as temperature and humidity. When a threat is detected, the system can automatically adjust ventilation, increase filtration or activate ultraviolet lights without human intervention. The Virginia Tech project, part of the BRAVE (Bioaerosol Risk Assessment interVention Engineering) initiative, aims to reduce respiratory illness risks by 25%. Initial testing is planned in daycare facilities. Other teams involved in the BREATHE programme include the Mayo Clinic, which is developing a biosensor based on microfluidic droplet CRISPR technology and using agent-based models and digital twin models to assess risks, and SafeTraces, Inc., which is creating a novel microarray qPCR biosensor and software to trigger new operating modes for buildings, with potential deployment in Defence Health Agency medical centres.
The urgency of such technology is underscored by growing concerns over indoor air quality. A significant proportion of British workers – 64% – are worried about how indoor air quality affects their health, while 45% say they are stressed about becoming sick from airborne illnesses and 44% want employers to upgrade office ventilation. Poor indoor air has been linked to reduced cognitive function, increased error rates and lower productivity. Research suggests that improving workplace air quality in London alone could boost employee productivity by up to 15%, potentially adding £38 billion to the city’s economy. Indoor air pollution can be two to five times more concentrated than outdoor air, contributing to symptoms associated with Sick Building Syndrome – headaches, fatigue and breathing difficulties that ease upon leaving the building. Employers are increasingly regarded as having a duty of care to address these issues.
The UK government has opportunities to show leadership in indoor air quality by integrating climate change and air quality policies, with a growing call for a unified framework and robust legislation on building standards and ventilation. The UKRI’s Clean Air programme is developing practical solutions, with a future wave focusing on the indoor and outdoor interface. Tackling indoor air pollution could save the UK up to £40 billion a year through increased productivity and reduced healthcare spending. Some British workers have expressed a desire to monitor air quality from their desks, and companies are already installing IAQ sensors for monitoring and management.
Lessons from history
The current research echoes the pioneering work of William and Mildred Wells, who in the early 1930s discovered the threat of airborne germs. In 1940, during a measles epidemic in Philadelphia, they installed ultraviolet lamps in classrooms to disinfect the air. Their findings, though initially dismissed by the scientific establishment, have gained renewed attention, particularly since the Covid-19 pandemic. Science writer Carl Zimmer’s book Air-Borne: The Hidden History of the Life We Breathe documents their contributions. The BREATHE programme’s manager, Jessica Green, invoked the Wells’ legacy at a Washington event, stating: “We have the right to be breathing healthy indoor air.”