Alex Huffman

The research of the Huffman lab focuses on analytical and atmospheric chemistry, especially focusing on multidisciplinary aspects of aerosol science, with emphasis on the development and application of new scientific approaches to addressing environmental and human health challenges. Most of this work involves atmospheric aerosols (small particles suspended in the air) from both field and lab perspectives. Atmospheric aerosols can either be natural or anthropogenic (human-caused) in source and can: severely reduce sky visibility, influence the Earth's radiative balance (climate forcing) directly or through affecting cloud formation, damage ecosystems via deposition of toxic chemical species, and affect human health through respiratory, cardiovascular, and allergenic diseases. In particular, respiratory aerosols within the context of the built environment can have dramatic impacts on human health, as we have all seen during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The primary research focus of the group is bioaerosols (airborne particles of direct biological origin) including pollen, fungal spores, bacteria, and viruses. The group is also involved in work on the biochemical modification of several types of proteins, both within the human body and associated with biological particulate matter. Our work involves: (1) development and improvement of advanced analytical techniques to provide better tools for the study of atmospheric aerosols, (2) characterization of particles generated in the laboratory in order to better understand physical and chemical properties that influence atmospheric effects and human health, (3) collection and analysis of field samples from around the globe to directly measure particles from the natural environment, (4) lab and field studies related to protein modification, and (5) investigation of processes related to the transmission and prevention of diseases spread through respiratory aerosols. Recent or current projects included the development, characterization, and deployment of inexpensive instrumentation for the detection of pollen and fungal spores using single-particle fluorescence spectroscopy, and, separately, for the detection of cloud condensation nuclei. During the COVID-19 pandemic the group has been actively engaged with efforts to model risk from virus-containing respiratory aerosols and to monitor indoor carbon dioxide levels as a proxy for airborne risk. Several on-going projects look into the processes by which proteins are nitrated and the associated health effects they pose. Through all projects the Huffman group takes a quantitative analytical approach to technique development and problem-solving.