Method analyzes pollen fast, cheaply and automatically
(PHYSorg.com Biology)

Pollen: essential for the pollination of many plants, but the bane of allergy sufferers. Pollen warning services provide information about daily exposure and allergy risk and are an important source of information for affected persons. For common data collection, pollen traps are used which continuously measure the pollen content in the air. To do this, they use a built-in electric motor to suck the ambient air into a drum where the pollen in the air sticks to an adhesive strip. Professionally trained persons then evaluate the pollen microscopically and grade it. However, the procedure is costly and time-consuming. Automated solutions are currently too expensive and only suitable for a limited number of pollen species. Olga Saukh and Nam Cao, two researchers from the Institute of Technical Informatics, have now joined forces with a team from ETH Zurich to develop a prototype of a pollen measurement sensor that could dramatically simplify the entire process-from catching the pollen to recording and evaluating it.