Mark Tarn is a University Academic Fellow at the University of Leeds. Mark combines his experience in analytical chemistry, microfabrication, clinical diagnostics and atmospheric science to develop microfluidic platforms for the analysis of atmospheric ice-nucleating particles (INPs), a rare aerosol type that triggers the freezing of cloud water droplets, substantially influencing weather and the climate. His work has taken him from the skies over the Arctic to the seas around Antarctica, where he has led teams on field campaigns to better understand INPs. 

What are you working on as part of the Hub?

While mineral dust and sea spray INPs are represented in aerosol models as the most important influences in the atmosphere, there is increasing evidence of a “missing source” of INPs that are not represented and remain a significant uncertainty. These species can include bacteria, fungi, pollen, viruses, mosses, lichens, phytoplankton, and parts thereof. It is important to identify and quantify these bioaerosol INPs and their sources to improve their representation in global aerosol models. To this end, I have deployed state-of-the-art online real-time bioaerosol detectors alongside INP measurements on field campaigns in the Arctic and Antarctica, while leading the development of microfluidic platforms for the rapid identification of bioaerosols.

What is exciting you the most about your current research? 

Investigating the potential influence of bioaerosols on the atmosphere is a fascinating area, and developing new methodologies to sample and analyse these varying species across a range of environments is extremely exciting. I enjoy being able to bring together otherwise disparate areas of my research career to solve problems and learn more about our environment.

What difference do you hope your research will make?

Understanding the role bioaerosols play in atmospheric ice nucleation will allow us to better represent their behaviour and impact in global aerosol models, such as those used by the Met Office. This will reduce uncertainty, enabling better representation of cloud freezing processes and providing more accurate weather and climate models that will help to make informed decisions in a changing climate. Microfluidic bioaerosol analysis platforms developed for atmospheric sciences also have the potential for applications in food security and pathogen monitoring by providing portable systems for rapid biological analyses. 

What are you most proud of in your research career?

I am extremely proud to have organised and led teams on challenging field campaigns, working alongside diverse groups of scientists from a range of backgrounds and using novel instrumentation to make new discoveries about how our world works.