University of Michigan Engineering Launches Bold Initiative to Combat Airborne Bird Flu Transmission Using Cutting-Edge Nonthermal Plasma Technology
In a groundbreaking move driven by the critical need to understand and mitigate bird flu outbreaks, the University of Michigan’s College of Engineering has spearheaded a multidisciplinary research project funded by a $2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). This pioneering study targets the airborne infectivity of the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus, notably the H5N1 strain, which has devastated poultry populations across the United States since 2022 and imposed a staggering economic burden exceeding $1.4 billion.
The research focuses on elucidating the decay dynamics of airborne avian influenza viruses within enclosed livestock environments, a domain that remains critically underexplored yet fundamental to containment strategies. Mass culling of birds following detection of infections disrupts global food supply chains and incurs massive financial and ecological costs. To disrupt this cycle, precise knowledge of how quickly the virus loses infectivity once aerosolized—and by what mechanisms—could revolutionize intervention tactics.
At the helm of this investigative effort is Associate Professor Herek Clack, from the department of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Michigan. His team is examining the application of nonthermal plasma technology, a sophisticated non-chemical method leveraging strong electric fields to generate reactive charged particles capable of neutralizing airborne pathogens without adverse environmental impact. These plasmas operate by temporarily creating free electrical charges that interact with viral particles, physically damaging their structural integrity and thus cripple their ability to infect.
The novelty of this project lies not only in deploying nonthermal plasma in real-world livestock air environments but also in dissecting the complex interactions between viral aerosol survival and environmental factors such as trace pollutants common in these settings. Polutants like ammonia, which are pervasive in the air surrounding farm animals, can alter the chemical milieu, particularly via shifts in pH levels, potentially influencing viral resilience and plasma efficacy. Previous studies from Clack’s group indicate that even minuscule concentrations of pollutants can inhibit plasma’s virus-inactivating power, prompting deeper investigation into these biochemical interplays and ways to enhance plasma design accordingly.
Parallel to this engineering-driven work, the University of Michigan is collaborating with the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom to develop and apply state-of-the-art measurement technologies for viral decay rates in the air. Led by research fellow Allen Haddrell, the Bristol team employs an innovative electrodynamic levitation system that suspends virus-containing aerosol droplets within an electromagnetic field. This technique offers unprecedented temporal resolution, capturing the critical first minutes of viral decay that traditional rotating drum methods miss.
This novel measurement approach allows precise alteration of environmental variables such as relative humidity and atmospheric composition while continuously monitoring viral infectivity loss. Such highly resolved data sets will provide the community with robust, reproducible viral decay constants essential for modeling transmission risk and testing intervention technologies under realistic conditions.
The grant-funded project also aims to distill these insights into pragmatic operational guidelines for agricultural industries—essentially developing a scientific playbook for managing bird flu risks in enclosed livestock operations. Clack underscores the importance of protecting both animal and human health, particularly given evidence from a 2023 Government Accountability Office report highlighting that workers in such environments faced virus transmission risks up to 70 times higher during the COVID-19 pandemic, largely stemming from close quarter working conditions.
The advancements realized from this research could thus have dual impact: stemming the avian influenza outbreaks that ravage poultry populations and shaping preparedness frameworks for future zoonotic respiratory pathogens with pandemic potential. By combining virological expertise, environmental engineering innovation, and cutting-edge aerosol science, the project exemplifies a holistic approach to one of agriculture’s most pressing biosecurity challenges.
Central to the success of nonthermal plasma as a deployment strategy is understanding how it chemically modulates the air around livestock. The research delves into plasma-air interactions that may reduce pH levels, a factor correlating with reduced viral infectivity. However, airborne pollutants like ammonia tend to elevate pH, potentially counteracting plasma effectiveness. Exploring the mechanistic basis and how to tweak plasma parameters to overcome such barriers is a priority that could inform the design of plasma reactors tailored for specific farm environments.
To date, the University of Michigan team has demonstrated that plasma reactors can achieve up to a 99.9% reduction in airborne infectious virus concentrations under controlled laboratory conditions. The next frontier is to replicate and optimize these results in situ amid the chemically complex and variable atmospheres of poultry and livestock operations.
Additionally, the integration of the Bristol group’s high-precision viral decay measurements fills a critical knowledge gap, enabling validation of interventions under temporally and chemically realistic scenarios. This synergy of inactivation technology and measurement science sets a new standard for quantifying airborne viral threats and their mitigation.
Beyond agricultural applications, insights derived here hold promise for improving the occupational health of workers in meat processing plants and other close-quarters environments vulnerable to respiratory disease outbreaks. Enhanced air treatment technologies could become vital public health tools, reducing transmission risk in pandemics arising from novel respiratory viruses.
This intercontinental collaboration draws on expertise in virology, aerosol physics, environmental chemistry, and engineering design, reflecting the complex interdisciplinary challenge posed by airborne zoonotic pathogens. With escalating concerns about emerging infectious diseases, the project’s approach—fusing fundamental science with practical technological solutions—represents a crucial step toward resilient agricultural biosecurity.
As the global community grapples with recurrent viral outbreaks and the looming threat of new pandemics, such advances are invaluable. By clarifying how bird flu viruses behave once airborne and how innovative engineering innovations can neutralize them swiftly and effectively, this research charts a course toward safer livestock operations, stabilized food supplies, and enhanced protection for human and animal populations alike.
Subject of Research: Airborne infectivity and inactivation of avian influenza virus in enclosed livestock environments using nonthermal plasma technology
Article Title: University of Michigan Engineers Harness Nonthermal Plasma to Combat Airborne Bird Flu Threat
News Publication Date: Late June 2024
Web References: Information sourced from University of Michigan Engineering press release and collaboration with University of Bristol Aerosol Research Centre
Keywords: Avian influenza, bird flu, airborne virus, viral infectivity decay, nonthermal plasma, plasma inactivation, aerosol science, livestock biosecurity, environmental engineering, viral aerosol measurement, environmental pollutants, pandemic preparedness
