Progress recognised: SYLVA 18-month review wraps up successfully
The SYLVA project underwent its 18-month progress review meeting in Brussels last week, with participants attending both in person and online. While formal feedback is expected in the coming weeks, the initial impressions are highly positive. Reviewers recognised the project's strong progress across all areas, noting no significant weaknesses to date.
Congratulations to the entire SYLVA team on their exceptional work and this remarkable achievement!
EGU General Assembly 2025 to feature dedicated session on aeroallergens
The EGU General Assembly 2025, taking place from 27 April to 2 May in Vienna, Austria, will feature a session on aeroallergens(AS3.10). Abstract submission is already open — be sure to check it out!
Collaboration with SPORELIFE brings fungal data to SYLVA
We collected fresh fruit bodies from 57 different forest fungi for spore imaging using our SwisensPoleno Jupiter and for DNA sequencing as part of the SPORELIFE project. Leveraging the Swisens Atomizer and a custom-built measurement chamber, we successfully sampled 30 of them, with results far exceeding our expectations and showing the potential to measure spores as small as 3 µm, at least in laboratory conditions. All collected data will be uploaded to the SYLVA Data Portal and shared openly.
Our next steps are to process these raw measurements and prepare the data for machine learning training; to develop an algorithm for spore recognition; and to operationalise the system. DNA sequencing is also underway.
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The second edition of the SYLVA bioaerosols newsletter has been released!
Key highlights:
SYLVA at World Aerobiology Conference: Engaging the aerobiology community.
New IT infrastructure: Automated bioaerosol data storage, with public access to data, training datasets, and algorithms.
Cordoba Southern Pilot: Advanced bioaerosol monitors tested in extreme conditions in Spain.
Completed deliverables: Physical and digital reference datasets, improved identification algorithms, and IT infrastructure for bioaerosol data storage and processing are all delivered.
SYLVA showcases AI-driven insights in new Horizon publication
SYLVA is featured in the new publication Horizon Projects Using Environmental Observations and Artificial Intelligence for the Benefit of Science and Society by the European Commission. This report highlights how Artificial Intelligence (AI) enhances Earth Observations (EO) for evidence-based decisions and sustainable practices across various sectors.
Nineteen projects, including SYLVA, share their experiences with AI, exploring its benefits, tools, and the challenges it presents. They discuss how AI improves data analysis, prediction, and efficiency while addressing concerns like data quality and the need for specialized skills.
Read the publication on the Publications Office of the European Union's website.
SYLVA unveils a landmark 43-year pollen reanalysis dataset
SYLVA is proud to announce the release of a pioneering dataset that offers a comprehensive 43-year reanalysis of pollen seasons for three key allergenic trees across Europe: alder (Alnus), birch (Betula), and olive (Olea). Explore the dataset at: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41597-024-03686-2.
This breakthrough was made possible by integrating the ERA5 meteorological reanalysis with the advanced atmospheric composition model SILAM, enabling precise predictions of flowering periods and detailed tracking of pollen dispersion from 1980 to 2022.
Key highlights:
Sophisticated 4D variational data assimilation incorporating aerobiological observations from 34 European countries.
Detailed analysis of inter-annual variability and pollen production trends across the continent.
Designed for use in climate change studies, biodiversity monitoring, bioaerosol modelling, and health-related research.
This dataset serves as a critical tool for analyzing climate-induced vegetation shifts and assessing public health impacts. Discover the spatial distribution of the Seasonal Pollen Integral (pollen day m-3) for each pollen type over the entire 1980-2022 period!
SYLVA publishes digital reference datasets (DRD) for pollen and fungal spores
Did you know that SYLVA offers comprehensive open-access digital reference datasets (DRD) for pollen and fungal spores? These datasets are essential for calibrating and validating the next generation of bioaerosol monitoring technologies, both within SYLVA and beyond.
The datasets support the primary SYLVA devices, SwisensPoleno and Hund Wetzlar BAA500, with additional resources available for the Plair Rapid-E+ and environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis.
Thanks to SYLVA, these technologies are generating highly reliable and diverse data, enhancing the accuracy and efficiency of bioaerosol monitoring systems. The potential for scaling these advancements across a global network of devices is immense.
On 20 September 2024, the SYLVA project commenced a new phase of environmental DNA (eDNA) research, involving the collection of bioaerosol samples at Šiauliai Academy. Following the successful deployment of a high-volume air sampling device by BioSence in Novi Sad, Serbia, Vilnius University purchased a Precision Air device (from Univerzal komerc d.o.o.), which has now been installed at the Šiauliai Academy.
The purpose of this high-volume air sampler is to facilitate a deeper understanding of bioaerosols - airborne particles containing biological materials such as bacteria, pollen, and fungi. These particles have significant ecological and environmental implications, and their study can offer insights into the composition, sources, and dispersion of microorganisms in the atmosphere. From the sampled bioaerosols, researchers can extract environmental DNA to study biodiversity, track invasive species, and monitor environmental changes over time.
The installation of the Precision Air device at Šiauliai Academy strengthens SYLVA's research infrastructure. The air sampler allows for more efficient collection of bioaerosols, enabling the capture of a broader range of particles, including rare or less abundant organisms.
By complementing the existing research infrastructure, SYLVA enhances its capacity for advanced environmental research. The eDNA data generated from this sampling effort will contribute to improving bioaerosol dispersion models and facilitate a broader understanding of the ecological and atmospheric roles of bioaerosols. Through this research, the SYLVA project aims to provide a foundation for future studies in biodiversity and environmental monitoring.
SYLVA grows physical reference dataset (PRD) to 400 samples
SYLVA partners at Demonstration Pilot sites have been actively collecting samples of pollen, fungal spores, and DNA from a diverse range of region-specific and European taxa relevant to health, agriculture, and forestry. Northern taxa are contributed by the University of Turku, southern taxa by the BioSense Institute and the University of Cordoba, and high-altitude taxa by MeteoSwiss and the Technical University of Munich.
Our physical reference dataset (PRD) now contains nearly 400 samples from approximately 170 taxa across 10 countries. It is essential for creating high-quality digital reference datasets (DRD), which are used to calibrate and validate innovative bioaerosol monitoring technologies developed within SYLVA and beyond.
Stay tuned for more information on our DRDs, and don't miss SYLVA's training materials on collecting and storing pollen and spore samples.
Presenting SYLVA's IT infrastructure: Optimising data flow for bioaerosol data
At SYLVA, our IT infrastructure is designed to efficiently process environmental data from connected devices, ensuring accuracy and long-term accessibility.
Incoming Server: This is the entry point, where we collect raw data (level 0) directly from our connected devices.
Staging Server: Here, the magic happens! Each instrument type has a unique algorithm. We pull the raw data from the incoming server, apply the algorithm, and convert the output (level 1) into NAS format before sending it to EBAS database for further processing.
Long-Term Storage: Once raw data is processed on the staging server, it's safely archived in long-term storage, ensuring historical data remains accessible for future use.
Algorithm Servers: Our algorithm servers take testing datasets, run new algorithms, and store the outputs in a dedicated area. The data portal can then retrieve and display this processed data.
Data Portal: Last week, we proudly introduced our data portal! It allows for the retrieval of historical level 0 data from long-term storage, enabling users to gain insights from past records. Check it out at https://data.sylva.bioaerosol.eu/.
We've built a robust system that ensures every step of the data journey is seamless - from collection to storage and retrieval.
Introducing SYLVA's Data Portal
We're excited to showcase the interface of SYLVA's IT infrastructure - a hub for all our connected devices, data storage, and more. Through this platform, you can:
View currently connected devices and the storage used by each.
Download historical Level 0 (raw) data for any device, starting from its incorporation into SYLVA.
Trace the output of new algorithms in real time.
Access and download reference datasets for Hund Wetzlar BAA500 and SwisensPoleno, curated and approved by SYLVA experts.
And the best part? All data is freely available - with no limitations. Whether it's live data or archived records, the portal is designed to provide easy, unrestricted access to our rich data ecosystem. Explore the future of connected devices and data science with SYLVA bioaerosols!
Hund Wetzlar BAA500 bioaerosol monitor launched in Finnish Lapland
In mid-August, our project partner Helmut Hund GmbH installed its BAA500 bioaerosol monitor in the heart of Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park, Finland, as part of the SYLVA Northern demonstration pilot.
Following the installation, fungal spores were successfully sampled shortly after the device became operational at the Pallas Atmosphere-Ecosystem Supersite.
Lidars track pollen across Europe during peak season
Did you know that pollen generates strong depolarisation signals that can be used to detect the presence of bioaerosols in the air? Lidar systems are doing just that during the pollen season in Kuopio (FI), Hohenpeißenberg (DE), Granada (ES), and Potenza (IT).
The picture shows 4 days of observations at the Kuopio station: pollen concentration from the Burkard sampler at ground level (top), birch pollen concentration from the Finnish Meteorological Institute's SILAM pollen emission model (middle), and volume depolarization ratio (aerosol shape information) from the PollyXT lidar (bottom).
The southernmost SYLVA site in Cordoba has joined the pioneering alpine site at the Zugspitze mountain in delivering real-time pollen and fungal spore data to the international EBAS database. This advancement allows the public to access and monitor pollen and fungal spore levels in near-real time, providing valuable information for those affected by pollen allergies, engaged in agriculture, and contributing to ongoing environmental research.
To view or download the data, users can visit the EBAS database and select the framework "SYLVA_NRT." With two sites online, there is optimistic anticipation that northern locations in Finland will join the real-time data delivery soon.
EBAS is a database infrastructure operated by NILU - Norwegian Institute for Air Research. Since the 1970s, its main objective has been to handle, store, and disseminate atmospheric composition data generated by international and national frameworks, such as long-term monitoring programs and research projects.
SYLVA represented at ACTRIS Scientific Conference and EO4AGRI 2024 Workshop
The last session on Thursday consisted of over 20 lightning presentations of ongoing European projects, including SYLVA. The exchange continued throughout the next day, aiming to join forces and achievements of participating projects towards sustainable agriculture.
eDNA sampling starts in Novi Sad
A high-volume air sampler has been installed at the BioSense Institute in Novi Sad, Serbia. Its purpose is to collect total suspended particulate matter from the ambient air without selecting for specific particle sizes. The vacuum motor pulls air onto the 1.6-micron glass fiber filter at a flow rate of 80-100 cubic meters per hour over a constant sampling period. The filter is then analysed to determine the identity of the particulates through environmental DNA (eDNA) sequencing.
SYLVA is developing the first end-to-end protocol for affordable sampling and identification of airborne bioaerosols using Nanopore's 3rd generation eDNA sequencing technology: an ultimate method to identify the entire spectrum of bioaerosols, including those undetectable by other instruments.
The sampler is custom made by BioSense in collaboration with the Finnish Meteorological Institute.
SYLVA General Assembly 2024 to convene in Bavarian Alps
SYLVA General Assembly will gather from April 9th to 12th, 2024, in Eibsee and at the Schneefernerhaus Environmental Research Station (UFS), located respectively at the foot of Germany's highest mountain, the Zugspitze, and just below its summit, at an altitude of 2,650 meters. The UFS is part of SYLVA's high-altitude pilot study.
Besides annual technical reporting, the agenda will focus on foundational discussions regarding the legal and technical organisation of the SYLVA infrastructure and the user-friendly expansion of the SYLVA bioaerosol monitoring network.
Stay tuned!
Pollen can be detected at high altitudes!
The Hund Wetzlar BAA500 automatic bioaerosol monitor, set up in extreme conditions near the summit of the Zugspitze mountain in the Bavarian Alps at an elevation of 2,650 meters, has detected hazel and alder pollen.
Hazel pollen already in flight
The hazel pollen season has begun in Switzerland! Will we be able to observe these pollen particles as part of the SYLVA high-altitude pilot? Time will tell...
SYLVA sparks interest in automated bioaerosol monitoring in Northern Europe
The SYLVA project attracted significant interest at the annual "Aerobiology in Northern Europe: State of the Art and Next Steps" event, hosted this year by the Finnish Meteorological Institute. Many researchers from the Baltic and Nordic countries were highly engaged with the emerging automated bioaerosol monitoring infrastructure developed by SYLVA. The event sparked extensive discussions about the potential for non-participating countries to join the SYLVA initiatives.
Happy New Year! We'd like to start 2024 with some wonderful shots taken from the Schneefernerhaus Live Webcam, where you can see that our Hund Wetzlar BAA500 is full of snow and performing perfectly. The first photograph was taken at 7:00 a.m. on December 16, 2023, and the second at 11:00 a.m.
SYLVA expands: New automated pollen monitor installed high in the Alps
The Hund Wetzlar BAA500 automated bioaerosol monitor has been installed on the highest mountain in Germany, the Zugspitze. It is positioned at an altitude of 2,650 meters at the Schneefernerhaus Environmental Research Station (UFS). Last week, the monitor was almost completely covered by snow. Despite these conditions, sampling continued uninterrupted, thanks to the monitor's efficient supplementary heating system.
The SYLVA project is running three pilot studies to test automated bioaerosol monitoring technologies in extreme European environments: (1) the cold and humid Arctic, (2) the hot and dusty southern Mediterranean, and (3) a range of altitudes in the Alps. Bioaerosols, or biological aerosols, primarily consist of pollen and fungal spores by mass but also include bacteria and viruses.
Kick-off to SYLVA in Finnish Lapland
The SYLVA kick-off meeting was held from February 8th to 10th, 2023, in Levi, Finland, and included a visit to Pallas Atmosphere-Ecosystem Supersite located 170 km north of the Arctic Circle in the area of Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park. Pallas supersite will host several bioaerosol monitors during the Northern pilot study, and the visit allowed to better understand logistical requirements and assess installation options.