Metabarcoding airborne pollen from subtropical and temperate eastern Australia over multiple years reveals pollen aerobiome diversity and complexity

eDNA metabarcoding is an emergent tool to inform aerobiome complexity, but few studies have applied this technology with real-world environmental pollen monitoring samples. Here we apply eDNA metabarcoding to assess seasonal and regional differences in the composition of airborne pollen from routine samples collected across successive years. Airborne pollen concentrations over two sampling periods were determined using a continuous flow volumetric impaction air sampler in sub-tropical (Mutdapilly and Rocklea) and temperate (Macquarie Park and Richmond), sites of Australia. eDNA metabarcoding was applied to daily pollen samples collected once per week using the rbcL amplicon. Composition and redundancy analysis of the sequence read counts were examined. The dominant pollen families were mostly consistent between consecutive years but there was some heterogeneity between sites and years for month of peak pollen release. Many more families were detected by eDNA than counted by light microscopy with 211 to 399 operational taxonomic units assigned to family per site from October to May. There were 216 unique and 119 taxa shared between subtropics (27°S) and temperate (33°S) latitudes, with, for example, Poaceae, Myrtaceae and Causurinaceae being shared, and Manihot, Vigna and Aristida being in subtropical, and Ceratodon and Cerastium being in temperate sites. Certain genera were observed within the same location and season over the two years; Chloris at Rocklea in autumn of 2017-18 (0.625, p ≤ 0.004) and 2018-19 (0.55, p ≤ 0.001), and Pinus and Plantago at Macquarie Park in summer of 2017-18 (0.58, p ≤ 0.001 and 0.53, p ≤ 0.003, respectively), and 2018-19 (0.8, p ≤ 0.003 and 0.8, p ≤ 0.003, respectively). eDNA metabarcoding is a powerful tool to survey the complexity of pollen aerobiology and distinguish spatial and temporal profiles of local pollen to a far deeper level than traditional counting methods. However, further research is required to optimise the metabarcode target to enable reliable detection of pollen to genus and species level.

Transdisciplinary synthesis for ecosystem science, policy and management: The Australian experience

Mitigating the environmental effects of global population growth, climatic change and increasing socio-ecological complexity is a daunting challenge. To tackle this requires synthesis: the integration of disparate information to generate novel insights from heterogeneous, complex situations where there are diverse perspectives. Since 1995, a structured approach to inter-, multi- and trans-disciplinary(1) collaboration around big science questions has been supported through synthesis centres around the world. These centres are finding an expanding role due to ever-accumulating data and the need for more and better opportunities to develop transdisciplinary and holistic approaches to solve real-world problems. The Australian Centre for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (ACEAS <http://www.aceas.org.au>) has been the pioneering ecosystem science synthesis centre in the Southern Hemisphere. Such centres provide analysis and synthesis opportunities for time-pressed scientists, policy-makers and managers. They provide the scientific and organisational environs for virtual and face-to-face engagement, impetus for integration, data and methodological support, and innovative ways to deliver synthesis products. We detail the contribution, role and value of synthesis using ACEAS to exemplify the capacity for synthesis centres to facilitate trans-organisational, transdisciplinary synthesis. We compare ACEAS to other international synthesis centres, and describe how it facilitated project teams and its objective of linking natural resource science to policy to management. Scientists and managers were brought together to actively collaborate in multi-institutional, cross-sectoral and transdisciplinary research on contemporary ecological problems. The teams analysed, integrated and synthesised existing data to co-develop solution-oriented publications and management recommendations that might otherwise not have been produced. We identify key outcomes of some ACEAS working groups which used synthesis to tackle important ecosystem challenges. We also examine the barriers and enablers to synthesis, so that risks can be minimised and successful outcomes maximised. We argue that synthesis centres have a crucial role in developing, communicating and using synthetic transdisciplinary research.

Impacts of climate change on aeroallergens: past and future

Human activities are resulting in increases in atmospheric greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, and changes in global climate. These, in turn, are likely to have had, and will continue to have, impacts on human health. While such impacts have received increasing attention in recent years, the impacts of climate change on aeroallergens and related allergic diseases have been somewhat neglected. Despite this, a number of studies have revealed potential impacts of climate change on aeroallergens that may have enormous clinical and public health significance. The purpose of this review is to synthesize this work and to outline a number of research challenges in this area. There is now considerable evidence to suggest that climate change will have, and has already had, impacts on aeroallergens. These include impacts on pollen amount, pollen allergenicity, pollen season, plant and pollen distribution, and other plant attributes. There is also some evidence of impacts on other aeroallergens, such as mould spores. There are many research challenges along the road to a more complete understanding of the impacts of climate change on aeroallergens and allergic diseases such as asthma and hayfever. It is important that public health authorities and allergy practitioners be aware of these changes in the environment, and that research scientists embrace the challenges that face further work in this area.

Alternaria spores in the atmosphere of Sydney, Australia, and relationships with meteorological factors

Alternaria spores are found in the atmosphere in many locations around the world. They are significant from a human health perspective because they have been known to trigger allergic respiratory disease such as asthma and hay-fever. The presence of Alternaria spores in the atmosphere has been related to meteorological factors in past studies, but this has not been done previously in Sydney, Australia. This paper reports the results of such a study in Sydney. Alternaria spore concentration data for the period 19 August 1992 to 31 December 1995 were examined with meteorological data for the same period. The daily Alternaria spore concentration was compared to the meteorological data for the same day and for up to 3 days previously. The analysis methods were Spearman's rank correlation and multiple regression. Alternaria spores appear in the atmosphere of Sydney year-round, although they peak over spring, summer, and autumn. A number of meteorological factors, including mean, minimum, and maximum, temperature, dew point temperature, and air pressure, are significantly correlated with the atmospheric concentration of Alternaria spores. Some of these meteorological variables (temperature and dew point temperature) show significant correlations with a 1, 2, and 3 day lag, as well as for the same day. Regression models indicate that up to 31.1% of the variation in Alternaria spore concentration can be explained by meteorological factors. There is potential for the results of this study to be used by public health authorities in the prediction of Alternaria spore concentrations in Sydney.

Impacts of climate change on aeroallergens: past and future

Human activities are resulting in increases in atmospheric greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, and changes in global climate. These, in turn, are likely to have had, and will continue to have, impacts on human health. While such impacts have received increasing attention in recent years, the impacts of climate change on aeroallergens and related allergic diseases have been somewhat neglected. Despite this, a number of studies have revealed potential impacts of climate change on aeroallergens that may have enormous clinical and public health significance. The purpose of this review is to synthesize this work and to outline a number of research challenges in this area. There is now considerable evidence to suggest that climate change will have, and has already had, impacts on aeroallergens. These include impacts on pollen amount, pollen allergenicity, pollen season, plant and pollen distribution, and other plant attributes. There is also some evidence of impacts on other aeroallergens, such as mould spores. There are many research challenges along the road to a more complete understanding of the impacts of climate change on aeroallergens and allergic diseases such as asthma and hayfever. It is important that public health authorities and allergy practitioners be aware of these changes in the environment, and that research scientists embrace the challenges that face further work in this area.

Impacts of climate and climate change on medications and human health

OBJECTIVE

To examine impacts of climate and climate change on medications and human health.

METHODS

Literature review and analysis of MIMS.

RESULTS

Changed climate associated with the enhanced Greenhouse Effect (e.g. increased temperature) may lead to medication-related health impacts through deterioration of storage conditions, increased heat stress from medication-induced heat intolerance, and by influencing pharmacokinetics. Increases in UV radiation from stratospheric ozone depletion may increase the significance of medications that can lead to an increased sensitivity to the damaging effects of UV radiation (i.e. photosensitivity).

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

Raising awareness of the impacts of climate on medications, and of climate-related side-effects, among both health care professionals and the public, should modify behaviour and therefore reduce the risks of such adverse impacts.

An integrated environmental asthma model

Asthma is a significant public health problem in many communities. Symptoms of asthma occur as a direct or indirect result of many contributing factors, including influences from the natural and built environments, human behavior, and the adequacy of techniques used in its management. A model is presented to integrate many of these contributing factors, highlighting the characteristics of the atmosphere, i.e., climate, irritants, and allergens. The model stresses the need for investigators to heed the many contributing triggers and influences, including possible synergistic mechanisms, in this disease.