Take a Breath
college, education, environment, tyler, ut tyler,
Sneezing may never be a thing of the past, but dust and other airborne allergens are getting a second look thanks to TxAIRE.
The Texas Allergy, Indoor Environment and Energy Institute is a collaboration between the University of Texas at Tyler, the University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler and the University of Texas at Dallas.
Begun with a $3.75 million seed-money grant in 2007 from the Texas Emerging Technology Fund, TxAIRE’s researchers will be looking into improved sensors, filters and other existing and idea-stage products.
“This is a good economic investment for Texas and a project that has really practical applications,” said James Nelson, dean of engineering and computer science at UT-Tyler, when the project was announced. “You can just look around at all the people suffering from allergies and sinus problems, and you can imagine the benefit these products are going to have for them. It is exciting, both from a research perspective and from an economic standpoint.”
TxAIRE marks the first time that such research has been done in hot, humid conditions and will involve lab equipment installed on campus in the new Ratliff Building North. Surveys of existing conditions and other startup work began in 2008, and now the goal will be to bring in major manufacturers of HVAC equipment (air conditioners and heaters) and other related equipment as participants, says Tom Mullins, president and chief executive officer of the Tyler Economic Development Council and Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce.
“They have gone out to recruit the research team and set up the lab, and now we’re working with them on bringing in private sector companies such as Trane, Lennox, and Carrier,” Mullins says. “If they start developing products that the existing companies can utilize, we’re going to want to be involved in helping them expand their operations if that needs to be an option. We also want to help if they come up with technology that a small group could take on, something the big guys might not want. We could help that smaller company get established.”
The end game of the whole process is to commercialize new technology that would reduce suffering caused by asthma, allergies and breathing issues caused by dust, pollen and allergens. If, on the way, Tyler becomes established as a recognized research and development location for such technology, so much the better.
“We want to be known as a national or even international leader in terms of indoor air quality,” Mullins says. “We want to be the place where companies come to get scientific and quality reviews of their products, and input on technology or ideas they have that impact air quality. We would love to establish Tyler as a cluster for air-quality research, development and commercialization.”
Story by Joe Morris
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