The Biostation has received a grant from NASA to study the ability of bacteria and viruses to travel - and survive - long distances on air masses.

Among other uses, the work is expected to shed light on how a biological weapons attack on a larger nation - the United States or a European country - might affect Bermuda or other nations which share air currents with the target state of an attack.

"We'll be looking at atmospherically borne bacteria and viruses and how they are transported by air masses over the ocean," Bermuda Biological Station for Research (BBSR) director Dr. Tony Knap said.

"Initially the study will run for four months to see what we find. We don't know if we will find a lot."

Dr. Knap said scientists do not know a great deal about how bacteria and viruses travel on air masses but with the growing threat of bio-terrorism, there is considerable interest in the study.

BBSR has also received funding from the US National Science Foundation to get its atmospheric tower programme running.

"We think we'll be able to supplement (the NASA funding) when we get more data," Dr. Knapp said.

Studies have shown that bacteria can travel to Barbados from Africa on the Tradewinds, Dr. Knap said. But those conclusions are considered controversial, he added, as there were questions about the quality of the air samples used.

However, it is known that air travels to Bermuda from Europe, the United States and from Africa on various ocean currents.

And, by identifying different compounds in the air around Bermuda, scientists can tell where the specific air mass originated from.

"At different times of the year, different climatic features allow us to see different types of material," Dr. Knap explained.

The air samples will be collected from a sophisticated, 60 foot walk-up tower BBSR operates in Southampton.

The air passes through a special filter which captures particles measuring just a third of micron - or a millionth of a metre.

The filter is also carefully sterilised to ensure that the particles captured are not contaminated or locally generated.

"We only collect air when the wind is off the ocean," Dr. Knap explained. "We don't want to collect air from Bermuda so, the wind should be blowing off the ocean at at least three knots or greater windspeed."

The filter is specifically designed to catch most viruses and bacteria.

"We'll then try to get the bacteria to grow on an agar plate," Dr. Knap said. "We'll give it some nutrients and see if its likes it and identify what likes what."

The scientists will also extract DNA from whatever bacteria and viruses are captured and break that material down with a polymeric chain reaction device known as a PCR machine.

The DNA will then be analysed with a gene sequencer.

"We'll be looking at two things, really," Dr. Knap said. "What types of organisms make it here and what types of organisms make it alive."

Bermuda's isolated location 700 miles from the nearest major landmass (North America) makes it an ideal home to study what exactly is travelling in our air.

Europe is almost 3,000 miles away and Africa is 8,000 but previous studies have shown Bermuda receives air masses from both continents.

Dr. Knap edited a book on the subject in 1990. He told The Royal Gazette air masses can travel from the United States to Bermuda in as little as eight to 12 hours.

Depending on currents however, air masses can take two to three days to arrive from the US while air masses from Africa will take at least a week to reach local shores.

The origin of air masses can be determined by the identification of pesticides in the air which are only used in certain regions or other distinguishable bio-markers.

At present, scientists are unsure what distances biological weapons of terror - such as anthrax and smallpox viruses - can travel and survive.

BBSR hopes to control their study for more definitive results.

As American relations with nations like Iraq worsen and terrorist networks such as al-Qaeda continue to elude international efforts to shut them down, there is considerable need for more information on how biological weapons might travel in the atmosphere.

In addition to the NASA-funded study, BBSR is participating in an international study known as SOLAS.

"There is much interest in the North Atlantic right now," Dr. Knap said. "And that is good for us."