Anemonphilous (Wind-Dispersed) Pollen: Allergenic and Dynamic Bioaerosol Particles

Speaker:Dr. Richard Flagan,
Department of Chemical EngineeringCaltechAbstract:Pollen has long been linked to asthma, but pollen grains are too large to penetrate beyond the nasal region when inhaled. We have been investigating the mechanisms that enable the allergens found in these large particles to enter the lower airways where they can trigger asthmatic attacks. Botanists have observed that pollen ruptures when immersed in water, spilling its cytoplasmic material. They further hypothesized that the pollen fragments released in this process can be entrained into the air to form an allergenic, respirable aerosol. This rupture, which was observed by Brown in the early investigations of Brownian motion, results from osmotic pressure differences between the cytoplasmic fluids and the surrounding water. Our investigations have identified the special circumstances that allow such small particles to be entrained into the air. Our studies of pollen and pollen allergen release mechanisms have also revealed remarkable mechanisms of pollen release that challenge previous understanding of the limits to forces and motions attainable by living organisms.

Location: Kaprielian Hall (KAP) - rielian Hall, Room 203

Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

Contact: Evangeline Reyes