Aerosol size determination via light scattering of viruses and protein complexes
Abstract The study of ultrafine particle aerosols, those with particle diameters of 100 nm or less, is important due to their impact on our health and environment. However, given their small sizes, such particles can be difficult to measure and trace. Most common optical methods are unable to reach...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2025-04-01
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| Series: | Communications Physics |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s42005-025-02076-3 |
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| author | Lena Worbs Tej Varma Yenupuri Tong You Filipe R. N. C. Maia |
| author_facet | Lena Worbs Tej Varma Yenupuri Tong You Filipe R. N. C. Maia |
| author_sort | Lena Worbs |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract The study of ultrafine particle aerosols, those with particle diameters of 100 nm or less, is important due to their impact on our health and environment. However, given their small sizes, such particles can be difficult to measure and trace. Most common optical methods are unable to reach this size range. Other methods exist but incur other limitations, such as the need for electrically charged particles. Here we show how light scattering can be used to detect and measure the size and location of single viruses and protein complexes forming an aerosol beam, as well as trace their path. We were able to detect individual particles down to 16 nm in diameter. The primary purpose of our instrument is to monitor the delivery of single bioparticles to the focus of an X-ray laser to image those particles, but it has the potential to study any other aerosols such as those resulting from ultrafine sea spray, with important consequences for cloud formation and climate modeling, or from combustion, responsible for most air pollution and resulting health impacts. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-c8065abefe174f58b78b36242cb4236e |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2399-3650 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Communications Physics |
| spelling | doaj-art-c8065abefe174f58b78b36242cb4236e2025-08-20T03:10:12ZengNature PortfolioCommunications Physics2399-36502025-04-01811610.1038/s42005-025-02076-3Aerosol size determination via light scattering of viruses and protein complexesLena Worbs0Tej Varma Yenupuri1Tong You2Filipe R. N. C. Maia3Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, Uppsala UniversityDepartment of Cell and Molecular Biology, Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, Uppsala UniversityDepartment of Cell and Molecular Biology, Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, Uppsala UniversityDepartment of Cell and Molecular Biology, Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, Uppsala UniversityAbstract The study of ultrafine particle aerosols, those with particle diameters of 100 nm or less, is important due to their impact on our health and environment. However, given their small sizes, such particles can be difficult to measure and trace. Most common optical methods are unable to reach this size range. Other methods exist but incur other limitations, such as the need for electrically charged particles. Here we show how light scattering can be used to detect and measure the size and location of single viruses and protein complexes forming an aerosol beam, as well as trace their path. We were able to detect individual particles down to 16 nm in diameter. The primary purpose of our instrument is to monitor the delivery of single bioparticles to the focus of an X-ray laser to image those particles, but it has the potential to study any other aerosols such as those resulting from ultrafine sea spray, with important consequences for cloud formation and climate modeling, or from combustion, responsible for most air pollution and resulting health impacts.https://doi.org/10.1038/s42005-025-02076-3 |
| spellingShingle | Lena Worbs Tej Varma Yenupuri Tong You Filipe R. N. C. Maia Aerosol size determination via light scattering of viruses and protein complexes Communications Physics |
| title | Aerosol size determination via light scattering of viruses and protein complexes |
| title_full | Aerosol size determination via light scattering of viruses and protein complexes |
| title_fullStr | Aerosol size determination via light scattering of viruses and protein complexes |
| title_full_unstemmed | Aerosol size determination via light scattering of viruses and protein complexes |
| title_short | Aerosol size determination via light scattering of viruses and protein complexes |
| title_sort | aerosol size determination via light scattering of viruses and protein complexes |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s42005-025-02076-3 |
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