AIRLAB Measuring the Infectivity of Breath
AIRLAB (Aerosol Infection Research Laboratory) was created in response to one of the most important scientific failures exposed by COVID-19: we did not truly understand how respiratory infections spread. Infection control focused on droplets and “aerosol-generating procedures,” yet real-world evidence was limited. We set out to change that.
We are a multidisciplinary collaboration of clinicians, engineers, aerosol scientists, virologists, microbiologists, infection prevention experts and patients, working together to bring rigorous measurement and engineering precision to respiratory transmission science. Our mission is simple but ambitious: to generate the evidence that transforms infection control in hospitals, care homes and communities by understanding human breath.
AIRLAB has already delivered major advances. We have built a world-first exhaled viral sampler — NESSIE (Non-invasive Exhaled Size-Separated Infectivity Evaluation) — designed in Scotland. This novel platform captures total exhaled breath, size-separates droplets and aerosols, and quantifies both viral RNA and live, infectious virus. Recruitment is now underway in both community and hospital settings, marking the transition from engineering innovation to real-world clinical science.
We have measured air quality in Scottish hospitals, undertaken detailed aerosol characterisation across a wide range of respiratory activities, and studied emissions during medical procedures that were assumed to be high risk. Our findings challenge conventional assumptions and shift the focus toward respiratory physiology and activity as key drivers of infectious aerosol generation.
What makes AIRLAB different is integration. We combine respiratory physiology, fluid dynamics, bio-engineering, virology and microbiology in a single translational program. We do not simply count particles — we measure infectivity. We do not work in isolation — we operate within real clinical environments under NHS governance and infection prevention standards.
Our work aims to refine PPE strategy, improve ventilation design, protect healthcare workers and patients, and strengthen preparedness for seasonal epidemics and future pandemics. Beyond transmission, our platform opens new opportunities to study the airway microbiome, co-infection, and novel engineering interventions to prevent spread at source.
AIRLAB is building the scientific foundation for evidence-based airborne infection control. If you are interested in collaboration, participation, innovation or supporting safer healthcare environments, we invite you to join us.