Authors: Smith M, Berger U, Behrendt H, Bergmann KC Abstract Pollen grains only represent a small fraction of the total amount of the viable biological particles present in the air, but pollen are the most important aeroallergens in the outdoor environment. The analysis of pollen has traditionally been carried out by microscopy, which can be traced back to the 17th century. Modern advances in molecular analysis could improve information for allergy sufferers and health care professionals. Pollen allergy (pollinosis) was first described in the 19th century. The prevalence of respiratory diseases increased dramatically during the latter part of the 20th century and millions of individuals are now affected. A number of scientists devised equipment to examine airborne biological partic...