Introduction to the MIST Project

People spend most of their time indoors, at home, work, school, or in public buildings, creating environments where respiratory viruses can easily spread, especially when ventilation is poor and air quality is overlooked. The COVID-19 pandemic was a stark reminder that the air we breathe indoors directly affects our health. Research shows that effective ventilation and air purification can significantly reduce the risk of airborne infections by replacing contaminated indoor air with fresh outdoor air. However, practical questions remain about how to improve indoor air quality in everyday spaces and which measures are proven to work best.

The MIST project, funded by the Dutch Research Council (NWO), tackles these challenges by combining scientific research with real-world solutions. A multidisciplinary team, including experts in virology, epidemiology, fluid dynamics, medicine, and engineering, works alongside 28 industry partners to turn evidence into practice. Together, we aim to better understand how viruses spread through the air, improve ventilation and air cleaning technologies, and develop clear guidelines for preventing airborne infections in schools, offices, healthcare centres, and other shared spaces. By bridging science and practice, the MIST project helps create healthier indoor environments and contributes to safer public spaces now and in the future.

 

Preventing airborne transmissions of viruses

Since the global impact of COVID-19, we are acutely aware of the risk of diseases dispersed through the air. Virologists, epidemiologists, fluid mechanics and engineers will join forces in the MIST programme to better understand and prevent airborne viral transmission. Under various conditions, the researchers will study the infectiousness of viruses, the spread of fluid droplets in the air, and the influence of ventilation and the purification of air on the transfer of viruses. They will subsequently translate this knowledge into practical recommendations about which measures can be deployed in the most efficient, cost-effective and sustainable manner in various environments ranging from people at home to hospitals, schools and trains. 



Clear Air Matters - Share the room, not your air!

What if we had to breathe only our own air? 

Imagine a world where every breath is a risk, and wearing a full-face breathing mask is the norm. In this thought-provoking short film, we step into a future where air safety is taken to the extreme until one breakthrough changes everything. 

A powerful reminder that the air we share can be our greatest threat or our most important solution.

 

Disclaimer: The film aims to raise awareness about the importance of indoor air quality. However, for real-world solutions, always seek advice from professionals such as occupational health experts or building installation specialists.

 

 

 

 

Latest News

03 June 2025

MIST Event: a memorable success in future of health-promoting ventilation and air cleaning systems

The MIST Event, held on June 2nd, 2025, successfully convened leading international experts to address the intersection of technologies, infection prevention, and indoor environmental quality. READ MORE

Newsletter

The MIST Updates Quarterly newsletter is sent to the partners of the projects. It includes publications, experiment updates, recent activities, new team members, collaborations and upcoming events in the near future. If you are interested in receiving MIST Updates:

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